Woodpeckers Come Up Short Against Salem on Friday Night

The Fayetteville Woodpeckers fell behind in the early innings and couldn’t come all the way back in a 5-3 loss to the Salem Red Sox on Fireworks Friday inside Serga Stadium. The Woodpeckers donned their Black Ops Uniforms to celebrate the 249^th birthday of the United States Army.

The Woodpeckers struck first with a Juan Santander RBI single on a line drive off JoJo Ingrassia (W, 3-1) to take a 1-0 lead in the bottom half of the first inning. The Red Sox responded in the top half of the second on a solo home run from Albert Feliz to tie the game at 1-1. A two-run RBI single from Andy Lugo added on to Salems lead making it 3-1 in the third inning.

The Woodpeckers defense caught a break in the next four innings holding the Red Sox offense scoreless, but Fayetteville couldn’t get anything going offensively during that stretch as the Red Sox still held on to a 3-1 lead entering the seventh inning. Nelly Taylor picked the scoring back up with a single to center that brought home Nazzan Zanetello making it 4-1.

Freili Encarnacion hit a sacrifice fly to Kenni Gomez which managed to bring home Nelly Taylor to put Salem up 5-1. The Woodpeckers attempted to start a rally in the bottom of the seventh and brought home a runner on a Will Bush sacrifice fly to make it 5-2 Red Sox. Cesar Hernandez plated a run on a triple in the eighth inning to make it 5-3 but the Red Sox shut things down in the ninth for the win.

Ingrassia gave up one run on two hits and allowed just one walk while sitting down eight batters in five innings of work. Conor Steinbaugh came in for relief and allowed one run on one hit and struck out two batters and allowed two walks in two innings. Nathanael Cruz was awarded the save going two innings surrendering one run on one hit and allowed just one walk.

For the Woodpeckers Ethan Pecko (2-2) took the loss giving up three runs on three hits while walking two batters and fanning six in four innings of work. Abel Mercedes relived Pecko and walked two batters and struck out one in one inning. Jackson Nezuh closed things out on the mound going four innings giving up two runs on one hit, walked three batters and stuck out five.

The Woodpeckers will look to tie the series back up tomorrow night for Margaritaville Night. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 pm. Projected starter for the Woodpeckers is RHP Alonzo Tredwell and the Red Sox will bring out LHP Noah Dean.