First Half Concludes With Three-Homer Night For Woodpeckers

Fayetteville, NC - The Fayetteville Woodpeckers (31-34) hit three home runs and totaled seven extra base hits, needing every run to close out a tight 9-8 victory over the Augusta GreenJackets (36-30) on Thursday night at Segra Stadium. With the win, Fayetteville ends the first half of the 2022 season with a 31-34 overall record and a fourth place finish in the Carolina League South Division.

Seven of the Woodpeckers nine runs scored over the first three innings of the game against Kris Anglin (L, 3-5). Tyler Whitaker opened the scoring with the first long ball of the night, a three-run homer in the second inning for a 3-0 lead. Augusta cut the game to 3-2 with a pair of runs against Bryant Salgado in the third. Salgado finished his start strong with a 1-2-3 fourth inning and tallied four strikeouts across the night.

Fayetteville put up another crooked number in the bottom of the third inning. Victor Mascai drove home a pair with a double and Justin Williams hit a two-run homer to right field. The blast was Williams’s second of the season and secured a comfortable 7-2 lead.

Nic Swanson (W, 2-2) took over from the bullpen in the top of the fifth and allowed a pair of runs on a wild pitch and an RBI triple. He rebounded to strike out four straight hitters at one point and received another run of support in the bottom of the sixth when Freddy Guilamo hit a solo home run from the 8-4 lead.

Caleb Durbin hit the only Augusta homer of the night in the seventh, leading off the inning with a solo shot that cut things to 8-5. Swanson pitched through the eighth inning, allowing three runs on three hits and striking out sixth.

In the bottom of the seventh with Estarlin Rodriguez on the mound, Leosdany Molina and Logan Cerny linked together for consecutive doubles on two pitches to open the inning. Cerny’s extra base hit drove home a key ninth run that Fayetteville would need in the top of the final frame.

Fabricio Reina took over for Swanson in the top of the ninth and worked his way into trouble. Kadon Morton reached on a missed catch error at first and made it down to second base on a walk to Durbin. Morton broke for third on a wild pitch and the throw down from Guilamo sailed into left field, bringing home Morton and cutting the game to 9-6. Cal Conley and Geraldo Quintero followed with consecutive walks that loaded the bases and put the tying runs on. Reina was able to lock in with consecutive strikeouts of Brandon Mezquita and Brandon Parker, but was pulled from the game due to an escalated pitch count.

Jayson Schroeder (SV, 2) inherited the bases-loaded two-out spot and gave up a two-run single to Adam Zebrowski that pulled the game within a run, 9-8. Braulio Vasquez loaded the bases again on a walk, but Schroeder managed to lock the game by getting a groundout from Brain Klein.

The Woodpeckers record will reset on Friday night for the second half as the series continues with the Augusta GreenJackets at Segra Stadium. RHP Miguel Ullola will get the start for the Woodpeckers and RHP AJ Smith-Shawver will start for Augusta. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 pm EST.

FULL BOX SCORE: https://www.milb.com/gameday/669576/final/box