Carolina Falls 7-2 in Series Finale in Fayetteville

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. - Zach Clark and Eddie Silva both had run scoring hits in the second and eighth innings, but the Mudcats were done in by a five run Fayetteville fifth while losing their season high sixth straight game 7-2 to the Woodpeckers on Sunday night at Segra Stadium.

Carolina (16-22, 55-52) led first in Sunday's series and road trip finale in Fayetteville as they scored a run in the second to take an early 1-0 lead. That lead held through the fourth, but the Woodpeckers (20-18, 51-56) went on to rally for five runs in the fifth while take a 5-1 lead. The two teams then traded runs in the eighth with the Mudcats scoring once and Fayetteville scoring twice to go up 7-2 in the game.
Clark drove in Carolina's first run of the game after driving in Mario Feliciano with a line drive single to left in the second. Feliciano started the second with a single to center before moving to second on a single two batters later from Wes Rogers. 
Feliciano also singled in the eighth while helping set up Carolina's second run of the game in the eighth. That run was scored by Tristen Lutz who singled, moved to second on Feliciano's hit and then scored on a double from Silva. Feliciano went 2-for-3 with a run in the game. Rogers went 2-for-4, Clark had a run scoring hit, Lutz was 1-for-4 with a run and Silva finished 1-for-4 with a RBI.
Matt Hardy had the spot start for Carolina in Sunday's series finale and ended up taking the loss after pitching into the fifth with three runs allowed on six hits. Hardy (L, 7-2, 3.77) allowed a game tying home run in the fifth to Fayetteville's Jeremy Pena, but left the game with it tied at 1-1 and with two outs in the inning. 
Reliever Cody Beckman followed and went on to walk two straight, while first loading the bases and then forcing in the go-ahead run as the Woodpeckers took a 2-1 lead. Beckman then allowed a bases loaded, three-run double to catcher Scott Manea while seeing Fayetteville jump out 5-1.
Beckman did not return for the sixth and ended up allowing two inherited runners to score and two runs of his own while retiring just one batter. He also walked two, allowed one hit and struck out one. Hardy, meanwhile, was charged with three runs on six hits over four and 2/3 in the loss. He also walked one and struck out five while reaching a career high 80 pitches (54 strikes).
Carolina was down 5-1 after five and would not score again until the eighth and only after reliever Leovanny Rodriguez left the game. Rodriguez (W, 6-2, 4.69) earned the victory after pitching through three scoreless over the fifth, sixth and seventh innings. He also struck out three and allowed one hit in his appearance.
Austin Hansen started and worked through four with one run allowed on three hits. Hansen also finished with four walks and seven strikeouts. Reliever Nivaldo Rodriguez worked the final two innings for Fayetteville and allowed one run on three hits while also walking one and striking out four in his appearance.
Carolina's lone run against Nivaldo Rodriguez came in the eighth when Silva doubled in Lutz from second. That run cut the lead to 5-2 at the time, but Rodriguez worked his way out of the frame with back-to-back strikeouts of Rogers and Clark to end the Carolina threat.
Fayetteville's final two runs came in the in the last of the eighth against relievers Rodrigo Benoit and Anthony Bender. Benoit started the frame and retired a batter before giving up a hit and then leaving with an apparent injury. Bender followed and ended up loading the bases by walking a batter and hitting one with a pitch. Jonathan Arauz then brought in a run with a sacrifice fly that scored one and helped force in another as Carolina committed an error on the relay on the play. They also retired a runner at third while getting two outs, but also allowing two runs on the Arauz sac fly.
Benoit also pitched the seventh and ended up facing six while allowing a run on one hit over and inning and 1/3. Bender retired the final two in the eighth and allowed an unearned run, hit a batter and walked one. Robbie Hitt also pitched for Carolina while working a scoreless sixth with one strikeout.
The Woodpeckers finished off a sweep of the Mudcats with the series finale 7-2 victory at Segra Stadium. The loss was also Carolina's sixth straight, dropping them to 0-6 in their six game road trip. 
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