Woodpeckers Fall on Wrong Side of 11-Inning Mound Battle

Fayetteville, NC - The Fayetteville Woodpeckers (9-19) battled for 11 innings in Tuesday’s series opener but fell short in a well-pitched 2-1 game against the Carolina Mudcats (15-13) at Segra Stadium. The loss is the fifth straight for Fayetteville, dropping their extra-innings record in 2022 to 0-3.

Alex Santos worked his longest start of the season, going five innings without issuing a walk and striking out five. His only run allowed was unearned in the fourth inning when Jeferson Quero bounced a ball off to the side of the mound. Santos bare-handed the ball but sailed the throw over first base and allowed Jackson Chourio to score from second base.

Tyler Whitaker quickly tied the game with an RBI single in the bottom of the fifth off Ryne Moore. Moore completed seven innings, the longest start by an opposing starter this season.

Freylin Garcia helped sustain the deadlock with his strongest performance of the season out of the bullpen. The right-hander entered behind Santos in the sixth inning and fired four scoreless frames, retiring 12 of 13 Carolina batters in the process.

Still tied 1-1 in the tenth, Jacob Coats (W, 1-1) used his mid-90’s fastball to strand Carolina’s free runner on base. Michele Vassalotti (W, 5-0) was able to counter with a scoreless bottom of the tenth, striking out Victor Mascai and Kenedy Corona, and coaxing a pop-out from Whitaker to force an eleventh.

Coats nearly kept Carolina off the board again in the eleventh, but Educardo Garcia came up with a two-out 3-2 pitch single into left field that scored Zack Raabe for the 2-1 lead. The Woodpeckers put some good swings on the ball in the bottom of the eleventh, but Hedbert Perez made a pair of diving catches in left field to take hits away from Logan Cerny and Miguel Palma, sealing the game.

The six-game series continues on Wednesday night at Segra Stadium with first pitch scheduled for 7:05 pm ET. Fayetteville is scheduled to start RHP Miguel Ullola (0-0, 6.75) and Carolina will counter with RHP Israel Puello (2-3, 9.53).

Game Box Score: https://www.milb.com/gameday/669613/final/box