Early Deficit Proves Too Much in 5-2 Loss

Carolina 2 @ Fayetteville 5

September 16, 2021 | Venue : SEGRA Stadium | First pitch : 6:32 PM | Att : 3,662 | T : 2:25

CAR: 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 2 6 0
FAY: 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 x 5 8 0

WP: Heitor Tokar (3 - 3) LP: Jhoan Cruz (6 - 6) SV: Bryant Salgado (1)

FAYETTEVILLE – Ethan Murray hit a home run in the fifth and Andre Nnebe homered for the second straight game after connecting on a solo shot in the eighth, but three Fayetteville runs in the first proved to be enough as the Woodpeckers defeated Carolina 5-2 on Thursday night at SEGRA Stadium in Fayetteville.

With the loss, Carolina’s playoff elimination number fell to just one with three regular season games remaining.

The Woodpeckers (53-64) scored three runs off Carolina (67-50) starter Jhoan Cruz in the first while taking an early 3-0 lead. Those three runs ended up being all that Cruz (6-6, 6.42) allowed in his start and proved to be enough as Fayetteville would lead the whole way through while getting their first win of the series.

Cruz pitched through the third with three runs allowed, four hits, two walks and three strikeouts. He additionally faced 16 over his three frames and reached 65 pitches (37 strikes). All three first inning runs were allowed in on a home run by Fayetteville’s Quincy Hamilton. The homer was Hamilton’s first in his career and the 16th allowed this season by Cruz.

Keegan McCarville replaced Cruz and went on to work through three straight scoreless frames with just one hit allowed. McCarville also struck out four over the fourth fifth and sixth innings.

With McCarville carving his way through three scoreless, Carolina eventually came back with solo home runs from Murray in the fifth and Nnebe in the eighth to cut the lead to one. The Woodpeckers, however, came right back with two runs in the eighth while going up by the eventual final of 5-2.

Reliever Nate Peden allowed both eighth inning runs after giving up a two-run single to Fayetteville’s Miguel Palma. Peden also worked the seventh and pitched through two innings overall with five strikeouts, one walk, two runs and three hits.

Heitor Tokar (3-3, 4.73) allowed Murray’s home run in the fifth, but earned the win after working through six with one run, five hits and three strikeouts. Nnebe’s solo homer in the eighth came against reliever Bryant Salgado, but would be the only run allowed as Salgado earned his first save. Salgado struck out four, walked one and allowed one run on just one hit over three innings.

HOME RUNS:

Carolina HR : Murray (3, 5th inning off Tokar, 0 on, 0 out); Nnebe (6, 8th inning off Salgado, 0 on, 1 out).

Fayetteville HR : Hamilton (1, 1st inning off Cruz, Jh, 2 on, 2 out).

TOP PERFORMERS - BATTERS:

Murray, 3B (Carolina): 1-for-4, 1 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 1 RBI

Nnebe, RF (Carolina): 2-for-3, 1 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 1 RBI

Sibrian, C (Carolina): 2-for-3, 0 R, 1 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 0 RBI

Hamilton, RF (Fayetteville): 3-for-4, 2 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 3 RBI

Palma, C (Fayetteville): 2-for-4, 0 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 2 RBI

Sandle, CF (Fayetteville): 1-for-4, 1 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 0 RBI

Williams, 3B (Fayetteville): 1-for-3, 2 R, 0 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 0 RBI

TOP PERFORMERS - PITCHERS:

Cruz, Jh (L, 6-6) (Carolina): 3 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 3 SO

McCarville (Carolina): 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 SO

Tokar (W, 3-3) (Fayetteville): 6 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 SO

Salgado (S, 1) (Fayetteville): 3 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 SO

SCORING:

Woodpeckers 1st (Woodpeckers 3, Mudcats 0) -- Kobe Kato lines out to Tyler Black. Will Wagner flies out to Noah Campbell. Michael Sandle singles to left field. Justin Williams walks, Michael Sandle to 2nd. Quincy Hamilton hits a home run to right-center field on a 1-2 pitch, Michael Sandle scores; Justin Williams scores. Victor Mascai hit by pitch. Miguel Palma singles to left field, Victor Mascai to 3rd. Adonis Giron strikes out swinging.

(3 Runs, 3 Hits, 0 Errors, 2 LOB)

Mudcats 5th (Woodpeckers 3, Mudcats 1) -- Ethan Murray hits a home run to left field on a 0-1 pitch. Hedbert Perez struck out looking. Jose Sibrian doubles to left field. Andre Nnebe grounds out, Chad Stevens to Victor Mascai. Noah Campbell grounds out, Heitor Tokar to Victor Mascai.

(1 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors, 1 LOB)

Mudcats 8th (Woodpeckers 3, Mudcats 2) -- Jose Sibrian flies out to Michael Sandle. Andre Nnebe hits a home run to right field on a 1-1 pitch. Noah Campbell strikes out swinging. Eduardo Garcia strikes out swinging.

(1 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors, 0 LOB)

Woodpeckers 8th (Woodpeckers 5, Mudcats 2) -- Will Wagner strikes out swinging. Michael Sandle strikes out swinging. Justin Williams singles to center field. Quincy Hamilton singles to right field, Justin Williams to 2nd. Victor Mascai walks, Justin Williams to 3rd; Quincy Hamilton to 2nd. Miguel Palma singles up the middle, Justin Williams scores; Quincy Hamilton scores; Victor Mascai to 2nd. Adonis Giron struck out looking.

(2 Runs, 3 Hits, 0 Errors, 2 LOB)