Woodpeckers Drop Second Straight One-Run Game Against Down East

Kinston, NC - The Fayetteville Woodpeckers (18-23) were unable to pull off another ninth inning comeback on Wednesday night at Grainger Stadium, allowing a pair of unearned runs to score in the fifth inning and falling to Down East Wood Ducks (18-23) 3-2. After falling 4-3 on Tuesday in extra innings, Fayetteville has dropped each of the first two games of the series by a single run.

Down East started the scoring in the second inning against Rhett Kouba when Maximo Acosta doubled and scored on an RBI single from Yosy Galan. Kouba allowed just the single run, struck out five and pitched into the fourth, retiring the final five hitters he faced. Kasey Ford recorded the final out of the fourth inning on one pitch and turned the game to Edison Bautista (L, 1-2) in the fifth.

Before Bautista arrived to the mound, Yeuris Ramirez drew a walk in the top of the fifth and scored on a Jaxon Hallmark sacrifice fly that knotted the game back up 1-1.

The lead was short-lived as the Wood Ducks scored two unearned runs in the bottom of the fifth against Bautista. With one out and runners at first and second, Cameron Cauley grounded deep in the hole toward short. The ball was fielded by Leosdany Molina, but his throw to third base was off target and sailed to the third base dugout, allowing Junior Paniagua to score. Alejandro Osuna also made it to third base on the play and moments later was balked home by Bautista for a 3-1 Wood Ducks lead.

Bautista didn’t allow a run the rest of the way and got stronger as his night went on. He struck out four straight hitters at one point and finished with seven punch outs over four innings in which he did not allow an earned run.

Fayetteville was held quiet on the offensive by Bradford Webb (W, 2-2) , who worked out of a bases loaded jam in the top of the seventh. In the eighth, Fayetteville was handed a run back on a pair of field errors. With two outs, Logan Cerny rolled a ball to third that was booted by Paniagua and extended the inning. In the next at bat, Tyler Whitaker lifted a ball into right field that was dropped by Jose Rodriguez and allowed Cerny to score, cutting the game to 3-2.

After the two fielding errors, Leury Tejada (SV, 1) took over from the bullpen and struck out Cody Orr to end the inning and strand the tying run on base. Tejada returned for the top of the ninth and retired the side in order to lock up the game.

The series continues on Thursday night at Grainger Stadium with first pitch scheduled for 7:00 PM. Carlos Calderon (2-1, 4.31) will get the start for Fayetteville and Down East will counter with LHP Robby Ahlstrom (0-4, 6.00).

GAME BOX SCORE: https://www.milb.com/gameday/669670/final/box