Woodpeckers Grab Series Finale in Myrtle, Take Four of Six from Pelicans
MYRTLE BEACH, SC – After taking two of three from the Myrtle Beach Pelicans (32-43, 3-6) on the road to begin the 2024 season the Fayetteville Woodpeckers (34-41, 5-4) made it back-to-back series wins over Myrtle Beach Sunday night at Pelicans Ballpark with an 8-2 victory. Fayetteville takes their first
MYRTLE BEACH, SC – After taking two of three from the Myrtle Beach Pelicans (32-43, 3-6) on the road to begin the 2024 season the Fayetteville Woodpeckers (34-41, 5-4) made it back-to-back series wins over Myrtle Beach Sunday night at Pelicans Ballpark with an 8-2 victory. Fayetteville takes their first road series since the opening weekend.
For the second straight night and the fourth time this week, the Woodpeckers struck first in the top of the opening frame. Jani-King Cleanup Hitter Xavier Casserilla, who drove in three runs during Fayetteville’s 8-7 win on Saturday, picked up right where he left off and laced an RBI double down the left field line off Pelicans starter Will Frisch (L, 0-2). It was the lone run allowed by Frisch before he departed due to injury early in the third inning.
Myrtle Beach evened the score on a wild pitch by Woodpeckers starter Engel Peralta in the bottom of the second. After Frisch left with Yamal Encarnacion at second and no outs, Nehomar Ochoa Jr. drew a walk before a groundout by Casserilla scored Encarnacion to reinstate the lead at 2-1. Fayetteville tacked on two more runs in the top of the fourth on a pair of two-out RBI singles from Alberto Hernandez and Encarnacion surrendered by Kenten Egbert.
Peralta allowed a solo home run to Carter Trice in the home half of the fourth that brought the score to 4-2 before the righthander was pulled from the game. In his first Single-A start, Peralta went three and two-thirds innings allowing a pair of runs while striking out seven, his most punchouts in any game this season including rookie ball. Abel Mercedes went on to get the final out of the fourth.
Manager Ricky Rivera then turned to Sandy Mejia (W, 4-4) for the fifth inning and Mejia never gave up the baseball. The Dominican-born 20-year-old turned in his best outing of the season, throwing five shutout innings and allowing just one hit and three walks while fanning six. Mejia closes out the month of June with a 2.76 earned run average over 16.1 innings.
Offensively, the Woodpeckers provided Mejia with plenty of run support in the later innings. Juan Santander grounded into a fifth inning double play that brought home a run to make it 5-2. In the eighth, Pelicans reliever Sam Thorsen uncorked a wild pitch that allowed pinch runner Alejandro Nunez to cross home. Then in the ninth, Will Bush capped off the scoring with a two-run bloop single to left.
Fayetteville will head back home to quickly begin a six-game series on Monday with the first half South Division champion Kannapolis Cannon Ballers. The first three games will be played at Segra Stadium before the series shifts to Atrium Health Ballpark beginning on Thursday. First pitch for the opener is scheduled for 6:35 PM.