Woodpeckers Erase Early Deficit to Earn Series Split in North Augusta
NORTH AUGUSTA, SC – The Fayetteville Woodpeckers (50-62, 22-24) fell behind 3-0 early Sunday evening at SRP Park but rallied to score five of the game’s final six runs to grab a 5-4 win over the Augusta GreenJackets (40-70, 13-32). Fayetteville forces a split with the GreenJackets in this week’s
NORTH AUGUSTA, SC – The Fayetteville Woodpeckers (50-62, 22-24) fell behind 3-0 early Sunday evening at SRP Park but rallied to score five of the game’s final six runs to grab a 5-4 win over the Augusta GreenJackets (40-70, 13-32). Fayetteville forces a split with the GreenJackets in this week’s series while also defeating Augusta in the season series, winning ten out of 18 contests.
The GreenJackets struck for three runs in the bottom of the third inning against Woodpeckers starter Sandy Mejia, sending eight men to the plate. John Gil opened the scoring with an RBI double before Junior Garcia drove him and Austin Machado in on a two-run single with one out. Mejia settled down to minimize the damage, ultimately going four innings and striking out six batters.
Fayetteville did not wait long to respond. In the top of the fifth, Will Bush got the Woodpeckers on the board, sending an RBI double down the right field line off David Rodriguez (L, 0-3) to make it 3-1. Bush made it to third on a fielder’s choice before Rabel Colon brought him in with a sacrifice fly, the latter’s first Single-A RBI. After a two-out wild pitch advanced Max Holy to third, Drew Vogel also recorded his first run batted in with Fayetteville on an infield single to score Holy and tie the ballgame.
Abel Mercedes pitched a scoreless bottom half of the fifth before turning the ball over to Juan Nunez (W, 1-0), who kept Augusta’s offense at bay. Nunez allowed just one run over the final four innings on three hits and a walk while fanning three.
With the game still tied after six, the Woodpeckers received their biggest hit of the game from 2024 Astros seventh round pick Joseph Sullivan. The lefty stung a go-ahead double with two outs in the seventh off Rodriguez to bring Holy in once again giving Fayetteville their first lead, 4-3. Jancel Villarroel added a key insurance run in the eighth with a sacrifice fly.
The GreenJackets put the pressure on Nunez in the bottom of the eighth, loading the bases with two outs. However, the 20-year-old right-hander got Gil to fly out to right, stranding the tying run at third. Nunez returned for the ninth and set down Augusta’s heart of the lineup to earn his first Single-A victory.
Monday marks an off day for the Woodpeckers before they return to Segra Stadium on Tuesday night to begin a six-game series with the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 PM.