The Fayetteville Woodpeckers (19-26) entered Sunday with a chance to split the series with the Fredericksburg Nationals (32-13), but struggled to get much going on the offensive end, dropping both games of the doubleheader 6-2 and 9-3, ultimately falling in five of six game this week at home.
GAME 1
The Woodpeckers dropped game one of Sunday’s doubleheader against the Fredericksburg Nationals (31-13) 6-2 Sunday afternoon inside SEGRA Stadium.
Eli Willits got things started on the first pitch for the Nationals with a lead-off double down the right field line off Cole MacRae (L 1-2). Luke Dickerson followed up a couple batters later bringing Willits home on a sacrifice fly to left to make it 1-0.
The Woodpeckers tied it up in the bottom of the third when Miguel Sime Jr was called for a balk that brought home Hector Salas from third to make it a 1-1 ball game.
The Nationals responded in the fourth inning with a bases loaded walk that scored Nick Peoples to make it 2-1. They turned it into a four-run rally with a Willits RBI double to center field that brought Nick Hollifield and Juan Cruz around to score, giving Fredericksburg the 4-1 lead.
A Juan Cruz two-run homer to left in the sixth inning added some insurance runs for the Nationals to make it 6-1. Salas managed to scratch across a run in the bottom half of the sixth for the Woodpeckers on an RBI groundout.
Jacob Roberts came out of the Nationals bullpen in the seventh inning, striking out German Ramirez. Xavier Neyens kept the game alive with a single into the gap but Roberts forced Kevin Alvarez into a groundout to end the game.
Full Box Score: https://www.milb.com/gameday/827264/final/box
GAME 2
Fredericksburg found the power stroke in game two, connecting for three home runs and opening up a nine-run lead at one stage to grab a convincing 9-3 victory.
Aubrey Smith retired the first six men he faced before coughing up three runs in the third on RBI singles from Dashyll Tejeda and Gavin Fien, plus a sac fly from Nick Peoples.
Jordan Williams and Coy James broke the game open in the fourth with a two-run and three-run home run that made it 8-0. Sir Jamison Jones also went yard with a solo homer in the fifth that made it 9-zip.
Fayetteville grabbed three runs back on an RBI single from Josh Wakefield in the fifth, a balk from Ryan Minckler with a man at third in the sixth inning, and a bases loaded walk to Carlos Cauro that cut the game to 9-3.
Julian Tonghini closed out the game in the bottom of the seventh, stranding runners at the corners.
The Woodpeckers will be off on Memorial Day and begin a new six-game road series in Lynchburg, Virginia against the Hill City Howlers on Tuesday night. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 PM and starting pitchers are TBA.
Full Box Score: https://www.milb.com/gameday/827265/final/box