PM Turns AM as Woodpeckers Walk-Off Mudcats in Wild 10-Inning Marathon

Fayetteville, NC – The Fayetteville Woodpeckers (17-12) walked off the Carolina Mudcats (19-8) in a wild back-and-forth game that carried into Thursday morning, featuring a near two-hour rain delay, six ties, eight lead changes, extra-innings and an eventual 12-11 final at Segra Stadium. It marked Fayetteville’s third walk-off victory and second extra-inning win of the season.

The marathon of a night that started at 8:32 PM due to weather was forced into extra innings thanks to the heroic swing of Juan Santander in the bottom of the ninth. While trailing 10-9, Santander punched a solo homer over the right field wall off Morris Austin (L, 2-1) that tied the game 10-10. It was Santander’s second straight game with a big fly and his fourth of the season to tie for the team lead.

Carolina grabbed the lead back in the top of the tenth as Daniel Guilarte connected for an RBI single off Amilcar Chirinos (W, 3-0). Chirinos limited the damage to one run, escaping extra innings with an 11-10 deficit.

Kenni Gomez started the bottom of the tenth inning as the free runner at second base and advanced to third on a single from Yamal Encarnacion. Encarnacion had a massive day at the plate, picking up a career-high four hits and scoring four of Fayetteville’s 12 runs.

Oliver Carrillo delivered the game-winning swing with one out, grounding a single up in middle into center field that scored both Gomez and Encarnacion to cap the 12-11 thriller.

Eight of the game's 23 total runs scored in the first inning out of the rain delay. Carolina took a 3-0 lead on a wild pitch and two-run single from Luis Castillo, then Fayetteville jumped ahead with five runs in the bottom of the first. Jesus Rivero struggled to control pitches, plunking four hitters in the inning, three while the bases were loaded, in addition to surrendering a bases-loaded walk to Chase Jaworsky. Rivero was pulled without recording a single out and the Carolina bullpen was tasked with recording all 28 outs in the game.

Fayetteville held three leads on the night, including an 8-7 advantage that stemmed from a three-run bottom of the sixth. Jaworsky delivered the game-tying swing that made it 7-7, a two-run double down the left field line that scored Encarnacion and Cesar Hernandez. Anthony Sherwin followed in the next at bat with a two-out single to plate Jaworsky for the lead.

Carolina grabbed a 9-8 lead in the top of the eighth, but quickly gave it back in the bottom of the inning when Bayden Root fired a wild pickoff throw into center field and scored Encarnacion from second. Again Carolina took the lead for a fourth time in the ninth, a 10-9 mark erased by Santander's homer that set the stage for the walk-off tenth.

The game was the longest played this season by Fayetteville, totaling three hours and 41 minutes after a one hour and 57 minute weather delay.

The six-game home series continues Thursday night with first pitch scheduled for 6:35 PM. Fayetteville is projected to start RHP Raimy Rodriguez and Carolina will throw RHP Daniel Corniel. The Woodpeckers radio broadcast can be heard at fayettevillewoodpeckers.com or through the MiLB App and watched online on MiLB.tv.

Full Box Score: https://www.milb.com/gameday/754002