Complete Offensive Effort Headlines Wednesday Win for Woodpeckers
NORTH AUGUSTA, SC – After a tough loss in walk-off fashion on Tuesday, the Fayetteville Woodpeckers (37-46, 8-9) put together a strong response Wednesday night at SRP Park and took down the Augusta GreenJackets by a final score of 11-3. With the win, the Woodpeckers have evened this week’s series
NORTH AUGUSTA, SC – After a tough loss in walk-off fashion on Tuesday, the Fayetteville Woodpeckers (37-46, 8-9) put together a strong response Wednesday night at SRP Park and took down the Augusta GreenJackets by a final score of 11-3. With the win, the Woodpeckers have evened this week’s series and have now won five of eight against Augusta in 2024.
After five errors on Tuesday night, the GreenJackets committed another in the second inning that allowed Fayetteville to strike first. A miscommunication in the outfield led to center fielder Isaiah Drake dropping a Will Bush fly ball that would have ended the frame but instead scored Alejandro Nunez for the 1-0 Woodpeckers edge. Augusta answered in the third against lefthanded starter Colby Langford on a double steal that brought home Robert Gonzalez.
Fayetteville reclaimed the lead in the fourth inning when Bush ripped an RBI single into right. However, GreenJackets shortstop Joe Olsavsky hit his first professional home run off Langford in the bottom half to propel Augusta out in front, 3-2. Langford finished his outing strong, going four and a third innings and tying his career high in strikeouts with seven.
After surrendering a double steal in the third, the Woodpeckers got one of their own to tie the game in the sixth. With runners at first and third and two outs, Cesar Hernandez took off for second base and the throw down was not in time to beat Chase Jaworsky. It was Jaworsky’s 26th stolen base of the season, giving him sole possession of fifth in single-season franchise history.
Those two were not finished offensively. In the top of the seventh, Fayetteville loaded the bases with one out and chased GreenJackets reliever Albert Rivas (L, 1-1) from the game in the process. Up came Jaworsky against new righthander Giomar Diaz and Jaworsky drilled a fly ball off the top of the wall in right field, narrowly missing a grand slam. The swing still brought home Yamal Encarnacion and Kenni Gomez to give the Woodpeckers a 5-3 lead.
Hernandez was next to bat, and he laced a two-run double the other way to double the lead to four. After Hernandez swiped second again, Nunez blooped a single into shallow left to bring the former home and cap off a five-run seventh inning.
Despite an 8-3 lead after eight, Fayetteville found plenty of insurance in the ninth. After Gomez and Nehomar Ochoa Jr. reached to begin the inning, Jaworsky singled for his fourth hit of the ballgame, his first professional four-hit contest. That loaded the bases for Hernandez, who drew a bases-loaded walk that brought in Gomez. Nunez followed with a two-run double to close out the scoring and give the Woodpeckers second baseman his third consecutive game with multiple runs batted in.
The two big innings late were more than enough for Yeriel Santos (W, 4-5) on the mound. The Dominican-born righty tossed four scoreless frames in relief and struck out six to seal the win for Fayetteville.
With the series all even, both clubs will look to grab the upper hand on Thursday night in North Augusta. RHP Alain Pena gets the start for the Woodpeckers opposite RHP Kadon Morton for Augusta. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM.