FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (WNCT) — A five-run eighth inning allowed the Down East Wood Ducks to rally for an 8-5 victory on Wednesday over the Fayetteville Woodpeckers.
The win puts the Wood Ducks (8-8) back at .500 for the season after they had lost five straight and six of seven.
Down East didn’t get a lot of hits, only banging out five. However, they benefitted from 10 walks from three Fayetteville (8-8) pitchers to get the offense through after trailing 5-3 heading into the eighth inning.
In the eighth, Cameron Cauley singled to center to score Abimelec Ortiz. A bases-loaded walk to Danyer Cueva scored Yosy Galan to tie the game at 5-5. Andres Mesa doubled in Gleider Figuereo and Cauley for a 7-5 lead. Miguel Villarroel then hit a sacrifice fly that scored Cueva to give the Wood Ducks an 8-5 lead.
Leandro Lopez (2-1) got the win despite blowing a save. Adrian Rodriguez gave up a hit and a walk in the ninth before settling down and getting his second save of the season for Down East.
Ortiz got the game started with a line-drive two-run home run, his first of the season, to give Down East a 2-0 lead. The Wood Ducks got a run in the fourth on an RBI single by Andres Mesa that scored Cueva.
Fayetteville got two runs in the fifth and three in the seventh for a 5-3 lead going into the seventh.
