Huezo's Homer and Game-Saving Catch Clinch Friday Win

Fayetteville, NC - A ninth inning shutout bid turned dramatic on Friday night as the Fayetteville Woodpeckers (25-30) held onto a three-run lead and staved off a Columbia Fireflies (25-30) comeback effort in a 3-2 victory.

Javier Perez (W, 4-3) commanded the first seven innings and turned in one of his best starts of the season. The right-hander from Mexico retired the first 15 hitters he faced a carried a perfect game into the top of the sixth. Connor Rassmussen put an end to perfection with a single in the sixth inning, but Perez quickly rebounded by retiring three more in a row. He completed seven shutout innings and set a new season high with ten strikeouts when punching out Yandel Ricardo to end the seventh.

The lone offensive inning for Fayetteville came in the bottom of the third when Waner Luciano led off with a double to left field against Darwin Rodriguez (L, 2-4). German Ramirez followed with a single and Anthony Huezo delivered a big three-run home-run swing over the right-center field wall. It marked Huezo’s team-high ninth homer of the season and also made the outfielder the first player to reach the 30-RBI mark this season.

Charlie Weber (SV, 3) was tasked with a two-inning save opportunity and pitched a scoreless eighth before running into trouble in the ninth. Stone Russell battled with Columbia down to their final strike and delivered with an RBI single to extend the game and breakup the shutout. Ricardo then doubled and drove in Henry Ramos to make it a 3-2 game. With the tying run at third and the go-ahead man at second base, Roni Cabrera hit a deep fly to right field that Huezo legged down near the warning track to save the game and lock up the win.

The six-game home series is now level 2-2 going into Saturday night, with first pitch scheduled for 7:05 PM. Fayetteville is projected to start RHP Jesus Carrera opposite Columbia’s RHP Michael Lombardi. It’s Margaritaville at the Ballpark and The first 1,500 fans through the gates will take home a replica Margaritaville jersey courtesy of Stanley Steemer!

Full Box Score: https://www.milb.com/gameday/827259/final/wrap