Fayetteville Squanders Late Lead as Wilmington Evens Championship Series
The Fayetteville Woodpeckers could not stave off the Wilmington Blue Rocks' rally bid as the home squad tied the best of five championship series at one apiece. Fayetteville took an early lead thanks to a solo shot from Scott Manea combined with two extra base hits from Chandler Taylor. With
The Fayetteville Woodpeckers could not stave off the Wilmington Blue Rocks' rally bid as the home squad tied the best of five championship series at one apiece. Fayetteville took an early lead thanks to a solo shot from
The Woodpeckers jumped out to an early lead in the top of the first against Wilmington starter
The back and forth game continued in the top of the second when Fayetteville notched another run. Bowlan forced
The Woodpeckers offense added some insurance in the top of the fourth, with Bowlan still on the mound. Chandler Taylor reached safely for the second time on the day, drawing a base on balls to lead off the inning. David Hensley moved the runner to third by roping a single to left, with Taylor scoring on a fielder's choice off the bat of Castro. Bowlan struck out Michael Papierski and then hit Scott Manea with a pitch so was lifted for
The bottom of the fourth saw another close call for the Woodpeckers, as Austin Hansen walked back-to-back batters forcing Fayetteville to make a pitching change.
Fayetteville did finally give up another run to the Blue Rocks in the bottom of the fifth, when for the third straight inning the leadoff Blue Rocks runner reached. Kyle Isbel earned a free pass to start, moving to second on an error committed by Miguelangel Sierra who was trying for a fielder's choice. Isbel scored when Tyler Hill laced another hit, notching his second RBI of the game to cut the Fayetteville lead to just one. A fly out and bizarre 6-4-3-6 double play ended the frame to keep the Woodpeckers on top 3-2 after five.
Chandler Taylor once again stretched the Fayetteville lead to two, crushing a leadoff triple off the wall to start the sixth. Taylor scored when Papierski chopped a ball to shortstop that Cristian Perez misfired towards home, allowing for Taylor to slide in safely and make it 4-2. That score would stay the same until the bottom of the seventh when Wilmington completed a rally against new Woodpeckers hurler
Through the next two innings the Woodpeckers offense would muster up just one more baserunner, going down in order in the top of the ninth against Wilmington closer
The Fayetteville Woodpeckers are the Advanced Single-A affiliate of the 2017 World Champion Houston Astros and play in their Inaugural Season at beautiful Segra Stadium in downtown Fayetteville. Segra Stadium, a $40 million state-of-the-art sports and entertainment venue, features space for over 5,200 fans, natural grass, a 25x70 LED video scoreboard, six luxury suites, four field boxes, the premium AEVEX Veterans Club level, Healy's Bar and outdoor party deck, a kid's zone, and more. With a rich history of baseball in the city of Fayetteville and Cumberland County, the Woodpeckers are thrilled to write a new chapter with their inaugural campaign on Hay Street. Fans are encouraged to visit FayettevilleWoodpeckers.com to purchase tickets, learn more about the team, and find out about upcoming events and promotions at the ballpark. Fans may also reach the Woodpeckers by visiting the BB&T Box Office in front of Segra Stadium, calling (910) 339-1989, or emailing [email protected].