Fayetteville 3-Peat

8/24 Game Recap

By: Jackson Pass

In game three of the series between the Fayetteville Woodpeckers and the Down East Wood Ducks, the game started off the same as yesterday with a pitcher’s duel through the first five innings. Lopez started on the mound for the Woodies going 2.0 innings against 6 batters faced, recording three strikeouts before being followed up by Ireland took over in the third. Fayetteville threatened in the third with two runners in scoring position after a walk and an error. Ireland kept his composure to get a strikeout and a double play to get out of the inning. After the third, Ireland retired 6 out of 7 batters in the fourth and fifth, where the Woodpeckers got their first hit of the night on a single by Santander in the fifth. On the other side, Guedez started for the Woodpeckers on the mound, throwing 4.0 innings of scoreless ball, as the Woodies tallied three hits, with one in the second, third, and fourth innings, leaving a runner stranded on third in every one of those three innings. Fleury replaced Guedez in the fifth to strike out the side.

Both teams put three runs on the board in the sixth inning. Fisher led off with a walk to start the sixth, with the Woodpeckers scoring 3 runs on two two-out home runs, a 2-run shot by Guillemette and a solo shot by Johnson. The Woodies responded in the bottom half of the inning as Villarroel singled to lead off the inning, coming around to score on an RBI fielder’s choice by Figuereo. Blackmon walked to get two runners on, and Specht came through in the clutch to deliver a two RBI single to drive in Figuereo and Blackmon later in the inning. The seventh went scoreless and both teams put another run on the board in the eighth. Baez hit a solo blast off DJ McCarty to put the Woodpeckers ahead 4-3. Piotto walked to lead off the bottom of the eighth, reaching third after a balk and tagging up on a flyout. Blackmon singled into right field to score Piotto and tie the game once again.

In the ninth, Loftin lead off to reach on an error and advanced to second on a pickoff error. Loftin advanced to third on a groundout to shortstop, before scoring on a wild pitch to put the Woodpeckers up 5-4. The Woodies had the chance to score with runners reaching second and third, but Foggo closed out the game on a flyout to center for a Woodpeckers win, 5-4.

The Wood Ducks (61-51) and Fayetteville Woodpeckers (50-67) play game three tomorrow, August 24th, with the Woodpeckers leading the series 3-0, as the first pitch is set for 7pm in Kinston, NC at Grainger Stadium. All fans can come out for Mother Earth Friday with $4 Mother Earth draft and an ECU hat giveaway presented by Pepsi.