Woodpeckers Fall Just Short in Series Finale
Published on August 17, 2025 under Carolina League (CarL)
Fayetteville Woodpeckers News Release
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. - Despite a spirited late comeback bid, a late Fayetteville Woodpeckers (25-22, 61-52) comeback bid was not enough to topple the Carolina Mudcats (26-19, 62-46) as they dropped the series finale 4-3.
The Mudcats did not waste any time getting their offense started as they grabbed the lead in the top of the first inning. A Handelfry Encarnacion RBI single opened the scoring and gave Carolina a 1-0 lead.
Two frames later, the Woodpeckers manufactured a quick run to tie the game. German Ramirez reached on an error and promptly stole second base. A groundout moved him up 90 feet before a wild pitch brought him home, evening the contest at one.
At that point, the pitching staff stepped up and quieted Carolina's lineup. Fayetteville starter Rafael Gonzalez closed out his four-inning outing with a scoreless top of the fourth, and David Landeta kept up the momentum from the bullpen. He kept the Mudcats out of the hit column in the fifth and sixth, keeping the score level heading into the contest's final third.
At that point, the Mudcats took advantage of a defensive miscue to pull back in front. Three unearned runs crossed home plate in the top of the seventh, boosting Carolina ahead 4-1.
Fayetteville put up one last fight in their final turn at bat. Down to their last two outs, their hitters went to work chipping away a the three-run deficit. A Brandon Forrester run-scoring groundout cut Carolina's edge to two, and the very next batter, Anthony Huezo, lifted a single to left field, cutting the advantage to one.
However, that was all the late magic the Woodpeckers could conjure up, as they could not advance the tying run from first base before the final out.
Fayetteville heads to Virginia Credit Union Stadium on Tuesday to open a critical seven-game series against the Fredericksburg Nationals before returning to Segra Stadium for the final home series of the season against the Myrtle Beach Pelicans on August 26th. First pitch in that game is scheduled for 6:35 PM on Tacos & Tallboys Tuesday presented by Foxy 99.
Full Box Score: https://www.milb.com/gameday/786477/final/box
Carolina League Stories from August 17, 2025
- FredNats Win Series over Salem with Second Walk-Off of the Week, Ninth of the Season - Fredericksburg Nationals
- Woodpeckers Fall Just Short in Series Finale - Fayetteville Woodpeckers
- Pelicans Finish Road Trip with 8-5 Win over Fireflies - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- Nowak Collects Four Hits in 8-5 Loss - Columbia Fireflies
- Pooser's Strong Start Wraps Dominant Week for 'Dogs - Charleston RiverDogs
- Mudcats Take Series Finale at Fayetteville - Carolina Mudcats
- Back-And-Forth Game Swings Lynchburg's Way over Delmarva - Lynchburg Hillcats
- Shorebirds Edged by Hillcats in Series Finale - Delmarva Shorebirds
- Columbia Fireflies Game Notes 8.17 vs Myrtle Beach - Columbia Fireflies
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
