Woodpeckers Survive Rain and Red Sox to Win Fifth Straight

Only able to play seven innings because of persistent rain, the Fayetteville Woodpeckers still held on for a series-opening win against the Salem Red Sox on Monday night. Starting the second leg of their seven-game roadtrip, Fayetteville secured all of their offense on a single hit, a bases loaded triple by Corey Julks in the third inning to secure the win. JP France and Tanner Duncan combined to toss seven frames for Fayetteville, while France allowed only two runs to earn the win. It was the first rain-shortened contest of the season for Fayetteville.

Going down quickly to open the night, Fayetteville failed to manage a baserunner over their first two frames against Enmanuel De Jesus. The southpaw starter for Salem looked to be in line for an efficient day, but he derailed his own work in the third inning as Fayetteville took the lead. After allowing a leadoff single to Scott Manea, De Jesus committed a throwing error on an attempted fielder's choice on the following batter. Striking out the following two batters, De Jesus looked to have a scoreless inning lined up, but the lefty walked a batter to load the bases, and Corey Julks knocked Fayetteville ahead for good by smacking a triple to the left field wall, driving in all three runners. Fayetteville had multiple opportunities to continue their attack on De Jesus (L, 4-6) as they placed multiple runners in scoring position, but they could not bring any more home.
While JP France labored through 42 pitches in just two innings, the Fayetteville right-hander was still able to keep Salem away from the scoreboard, giving the Woodpeckers the opportunity to score first. Once Julks had put Fayetteville ahead, France tossed an easy third inning before Salem finally scratched the starter in the fourth. Shortstop Ryan Fitzgerald led off the frame with a single over the shift before advancing on a wild pitch, and then scoring two batters later, on a double by Edgar Corcino. With the lead shrunk to only two runs, France (W, 2-5) logged a scoreless fifth inning to put himself in line for a win. Having already thrown 91 pitches, France was still tasked with the sixth inning, but was lifted after allowing a leadoff single to Fitzgerald. As Tanner Duncan took over on the mound, the new right-hander allowed a single and a sacrifice fly. With that run charged to France, and the lead trimmed to just one run, Duncan allowed another pair of singles to load the bases before finally locking in for a pair of strikeouts, ending the sixth inning. Duncan (S, 1) tossed a clean seventh inning to lock down the save.
Now having won five-straight for the first time in their franchise's history, Fayetteville will once again try to stay perfect in the second half on Sunday, as Jojanse Torres will climb the hill for Fayetteville. The right-hander will try to win the series for Fayetteville, with first pitch from Salem coming at 7:05PM.
The Fayetteville Woodpeckers are the Advanced Single-A affiliate of the 2017 World Champion Houston Astros and play in their Inaugural Season at beautiful Segra Stadium in downtown Fayetteville. Segra Stadium, a $40 million state-of-the-art sports and entertainment venue, features space for over 5,200 fans, natural grass, a 25x70 LED video scoreboard, six luxury suites, four field boxes, the premium AEVEX Veterans Club level, Healy's Bar and outdoor party deck, a kid's zone, and more. With a rich history of baseball in the city of Fayetteville and Cumberland County, the Woodpeckers are thrilled to write a new chapter with their inaugural campaign on Hay Street. Fans are encouraged to visit FayettevilleWoodpeckers.com to purchase tickets, learn more about the team, and find out about upcoming events and promotions at the ballpark. Fans may also reach the Woodpeckers by visiting the BB&T Box Office in front of Segra Stadium, calling (910) 339-1989, or emailing [email protected].