Fayetteville Uses Four Run Seventh to Advance to Championship

Kinston, N.C. - The Fayetteville Woodpeckers struck for four runs in the seventh inning, on their way to a 6-3 victory over Down East, Sunday, to take the finale of the best-of-five series.

Down East finishes the season with 89 victories overall, including 50 in the first half, the second most ever by a Carolina League club.
The Woodies got on the board with a run in the fourth inning. Sam Huff led off with a single, and then got into scoring position by advancing on a wild pitch. Sherten Apostel then came through with a looping single down the right field line to make it 1-0.
Alex Eubanks started for the Woodies and pitched well, tossing 4.1 scoreless innings, giving up four hits and a walk, while striking out one. Josh Advocate finished off the fifth inning but gave up a leadoff homer in the sixth to Chandler Taylor to tie the score, 1-1.
Scott Engler (loss, 0-2) took over in the seventh, and allowed the first four to reach, including a two run double from Marty Costes . Later in the inning David Hensley and Ruben Castro also came through with RBI singles, as Fayetteville jumped in front, 5-1, batting around in the inning.
Shawn Dubin (win, 1-0) was strong for Fayetteville, tossing six innings, allowing one run on two hits, he walked two, and struck out seven.
Down East had chances late. They got two men on in the sixth, but bounced into a double play, and then stranded the bases loaded in the seventh. They would convert in the eighth, when Yohel Pozo ripped a two run double to center field, scoring Huff, and Diosbel Arias , who each walked. Down East drew eight walks on the day.
The Woodpeckers tacked on an insurance run in the ninth inning, when Costes worked a walk to lead off the frame, and with two outs, Castro doubled him home to make it 6-3. Castro reached base four times in the ballgame.
The Wood Ducks did load the bases in the ninth inning, on a pair of walks and an error, but Leovanny Rodriguez (save, 1) struck out Apostel to end the ballgame.
Fayetteville will advance to play Wilmington in the championship series, after the Blue Rocks also won game five, 6-3, over Salem.