The Fayetteville Woodpeckers (56-71, 26-35 second half) kicked off the final homestand of the season with a power display, homering three times to prop up a 3-2 win over the Charleston RiverDogs (66-60, 38-22 second half) Tuesday night at Segra Stadium.
Leadoff hitter Cam Fisher had a game to remember, hitting two of the three long balls and doubling a career-best 10 total bases for the fourth-round pick out of UNC Charlotte.
Fisher’s first blast of the night came on the first Fayetteville at-bat of the game, a deep line drive over the left-center field wall off starter Jonny Cuevas for the 1-0 lead. Charleston tied the game on a Cooper Kinney RBI single in the third and took the lead on a throwing error that sailed into the third base dugout in the fourth.
Ethan Pecko allowed just one earned run and struck out six over 4.2 innings, the longest outing of the sixth-rounders career before Ian Foggo grabbed the final out of the fifth with a strikeout.
Trailing 2-1 in the bottom of the fifth, Fisher leveled the game with another big swing, hammering a solo drive toward the right-field train tracks. It was the first multihomer game of Fisher’s career and the third this year from a Fayetteville bat.
Jackson Loftin delivered the winning blow in the bottom of the seventh, clobbering the first pitch of the inning offered by Jake Christianson (L, 4-2) over the left field fence for a 3-2 lead. It was Loftin’s ninth home run of the season and second straight game going yard following a solo homer in Kannapolis on Sunday.
Newly named Carolina League Pitcher of the Month for August Jose Fleury (W, 4-3) entered from the bullpen and preserved the lead for the rest of the night. He worked around trouble on a few occasions, stranding two runners on base in the eighth and two more at second and third in the ninth with a game-ending strikeout of Brayden Taylor.
The final series of the year continues Wednesday night with the first pitch scheduled at 7 p.m.
The Woodpeckers are projected to start right-hander Jose Guedez (1-3, 3.66 ERA), and Charleston will counter with right-hander Trevor Martin (9-5, 3.60 ERA).
It’s Waggin’ Wednesday at Segra Stadium. Fans can bring their pups to the park for just $1.
