Woodpeckers Fall to Ballers in 11-Inning Fight

Fayetteville, NC - The Fayetteville Woodpeckers (52-64, 23-26 2nd Half) played into the eleventh inning for just the second time all season, falling to the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers (62-56, 21-31 2nd Half) 9-6 on Friday night at Segra Stadium.

A two-run rally in the bottom of the eighth when trailing 5-3 preserved the game and helped force extras. Alejandro Nunez returned from a short stint with High-A Asheville and started the inning with a single against reliever Manuel Veloz. Nehomar Ochoa Jr. also reached with a base hit into center and Trevor Austin followed with an RBI double that cut it to a 5-4 game. Caden Powell leveled it with a fielder’s choice grounder to short that plated Ochoa from third.

The bullpens avoided any damage in the ninth. Danny Trehey struck out three Cannon Ballers and Jesus Mendez (W, 5-4) standed the winning run at second base to extend into extras.

Neither lineup cashed in on the free runner during the tenth. Hudson Leach (L, 1-3) hung a zero in his first inning of relief and Mendez again stranded the winning run in scoring position.

Kannapolis capitalized on their second chance at the plate during the eleventh inning, breaking the game open with a four-run rally. A two-run single from Sam Antonacci and George Wolkow RBI base hit jumped the Ballers out to a 8-5 lead. Then, with Antonacci at third, an errant return throw from the catcher to the mound got by Leach and scored the fourth run of the inning.

Cesar Hernandez grabbed a run back in the bottom of the eleventh with a sacrifice fly before Mendez closed out the Woodpeckers to complete three innings of high-leverage relief.

Fayetteville scored three of their runs early on a two-run homer from Jason Schiavone in the bottom of the first and a Max Holy RBI single in the bottom of the second. Shiavone’s blast hooked inside of the left field foul pole for his second of the year and squared the game 2-2 after Kannapolis crossed a pair in their top of the first.

Yeriel Santos surrendered three more to the Ballers in the top of the third on a two-run single and sacrifice fly. Dawil Almonte prevented any further damage in the middle innings with 3.0 frames of scoreless relief that stalled the contest at 5-3 before Fayetteville’s eighth-inning push.

The six-game home series continues Saturday night with first pitch scheduled for 7:05 PM. The Woodpeckers are projected to start RHP Luis Rodriguez and Kannapolis will counter with a righty of their own in Ricardo Brizuela.

Full Box Score: https://www.milb.com/gameday/753955/final/box