Cobos Gem Not Enough for Fayetteville in Road Loss to Charleston
Charleston, SC - Starting pitcher Franny Cobos was lights out to begin the ballgame Thursday night at Joseph P. Riley Jr. Ballpark, but the Fayetteville Woodpeckers (9-15) could not overcome a big sixth inning from the Charleston RiverDogs (15-9) as Charleston took the third game of the series, 6-2. Cobos
Charleston, SC - Starting pitcher Franny Cobos was lights out to begin the ballgame Thursday night at Joseph P. Riley Jr. Ballpark, but the Fayetteville Woodpeckers (9-15) could not overcome a big sixth inning from the Charleston RiverDogs (15-9) as Charleston took the third game of the series, 6-2.
Cobos delivered another spectacular start for the Woodpeckers. The right-hander went five scoreless frames, allowing just a walk and two hits while striking out five. This outing dropped Cobos’s earned run average to 1.98 on the season, the lowest on the Fayetteville pitching staff.
Bryant Salgado (L, 0-3) came on in relief for Cobos in the sixth inning, but immediately found himself in a hole when the first batter he faced reached on a fielding error. A walk put two on and nobody out for RiverDogs first baseman Bobby Seymour, who singled up the middle to bring home a run and gave Charleston a 1-0 lead. A balk from Salgado allowed a second run to come across one batter later.
Defensive struggles continued for the Woodpeckers as another fielding error by first baseman Freddy Guilamo followed by a single kept the RiverDogs’ rally alive. Willy Vazquez would dash home on a throw down to second to extend the lead to 3-0. Two batters later, Gionti Turner lined one to left for an RBI single to add another run. A third error in the inning by Fayetteville, the fourth of the game, brought in two more runs to cap off a six-run sixth for the home team.
Six runs were plenty enough for the RiverDogs’ pitching staff. Starter Ben Peoples went four scoreless innings before Austin Vernon (W, 3-0) followed with four scoreless frames of his own. Neraldo Catalina ran into some trouble in the top of the ninth, however. Three straight Woodpeckers reached base with one out before Yeuris Ramirez ripped a full count, two-out pitch to right center to drive home Quincy Hamilton and Miguel Palma to end the shutout bid. Charleston closer Kyle Whitten (SV, 3) then entered the game and got Guilamo to ground out to third to end the game.
The Woodpeckers once again look to even the series Friday night with Miguel Ullola (0-0, 0.00 ERA) making his second start of the season while Charleston will counter with RHP JJ Goss (0-1, 2.00 ERA) First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 ET.