Orr's Big Night Not Enough in Series Opener vs. Augusta
North Augusta, SC - Cody Orr had a home run and a pair of runs batted in but the Fayetteville Woodpeckers (2-8) could not contain the surging Augusta GreenJackets (5-5), dropping the series opener at SRP Park Wednesday night by a score of 8-6. Fayetteville jumped ahead early in this
North Augusta, SC - Cody Orr had a home run and a pair of runs batted in but the Fayetteville Woodpeckers (2-8) could not contain the surging Augusta GreenJackets (5-5), dropping the series opener at SRP Park Wednesday night by a score of 8-6.
Fayetteville jumped ahead early in this one. Quincy Hamilton kicked off the top of the second with a base hit to right. Miguel Palma followed that up with a single of his own before a double play put Hamilton on third with two outs. Jaxon Hallmark kept the inning alive with a walk and promptly stole second to put two in scoring position for Kenedy Corona. The Woodpeckers outfielder laced a double to right field to score both Hamilton and Hallmark and give Fayetteville the early 2-0 advantage. The very next batter was Orr, who drove a breaking ball over the wall in left center field for his first home run of 2022 to double the Woodpeckers lead.
RHP Zack Matthews got off to a strong start for Fayetteville, going three scoreless innings without any hits allowed but was lifted in the bottom of the fourth after he issued a pair of walks. Augusta would make the Woodpeckers pay by plating five runs in the inning and taking the lead. An RBI double from Stephen Paolini got the GreenJackets on the board. A few batters later, Mahki Backstrom drew a bases loaded walk to cut the lead to 4-2. The big swing came from Caleb Durbin, who cleared the bases with a three-run double to push Augusta out front, 5-4.
The Woodpeckers needed a quick response after the massive fourth inning from the GreenJackets and they got it in the top of the fifth. With one out and two runners in scoring position, Tyler Whitaker lined an 0-1 fastball to right field to bring home both Orr and Leosdany Molina to regain the lead for Fayetteville, 6-5.
Nic Swanson (L, 1-1) took the mound in the bottom half of the fifth and retired the GreenJackets in order. The following inning, Brandol Mezquita drove in Durbin with a single to even the score at six after six. In the bottom of the seventh, Augusta would take the lead back when Geraldo Quintero walked with the bases loaded to score Brandon Parker. The GreenJackets added an insurance run to make it 8-6 when Paolini singled home Mezquita. Augusta’s bullpen held Fayetteville scoreless over the final four innings of the game en route to the win.
The Woodpeckers look to bounce back Wednesday night in game two of the series with RHP Carlos Calderon on the mound. For Augusta RHP Royber Salinas is scheduled to take the hill. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 EST at SRP Park.