Woodpeckers’ Pitching Staff Strikes Out 17 to Edge Mudcats 2-1

July 29, 2022 – Carolina League (CarL) – Fayetteville Woodpeckers News Release

Fayetteville Woodpeckers in action
(Fayetteville Woodpeckers)

Fayetteville, NC – The Fayetteville Woodpeckers (40-52, 9-18) only managed to cross a pair of runs on Friday night but held sturdy thanks to 17 strikeouts from the pitching staff, pulling out a 2-1 victory over the Carolina Mudcats (47-47, 13-15) at Segra Stadium.

Both starting pitchers kept the game scoreless into the middle innings. Miguel Segura allowed a Joey Loperfido triple in the first inning but managed to strand him on third base. He continued his scoreless night until Jose Alvarez broke the deadlock in the fifth inning with a solo homer to right field, his first of the season to hand the Woodpeckers a 1-0 lead.

Valente Bellozo made his first home start of the season and allowed just two hits over four scoreless innings. He walked just two, struck out a season-high six, and stranded a pair of Carolina runners on base to close his night in the fourth.

Miguel Ullola (W, 2-0) entered out of the bullpen in the fifth and picked up the strikeout effort, punching out four over his first two innings of work. Carolina leveled the game in the sixth, loading the bases after a leadoff double from Zack Raabe. Hendry Mendez drove in the only Carolina run on a slow dribbler in front of the plate that scored Raabe and made it a 1-1 contest.

The Woodpeckers quickly took the lead back against Edwin Jimenez (L, 3-5) in the seventh. Alvarez and Yeuris Ramirez started the inning with consecutive singles. With one out and runners at first and second base, a Leosdany Molina ground ball nearly ended the inning on a double-play, but a wide throw to first on the turn from Raabe allowed Alvarez to score for the 2-1 lead.

Ullola preserved the advantage the rest of the way, punching out six more to set a new season-high with ten total strikeouts. Down to the final out, Hendry Mendez managed to extend the game in the ninth with a single and Ullola was pulled in exchange for Kasey Ford (SV, 1). After a dropped fly ball in right field put runners on the corners, Ford stranded the tying run on third base by striking out Eduardo Garcia and ending the game.

The Woodpeckers have won consecutive games over the Mudcats to even the series 2-2 going into Saturday night. First pitch on Saturday at Segra Stadium is scheduled for 5:05 pm with RHP Bryant Salgado (6-5, 4.84 ERA) scheduled to start for the Woodpeckers and RHP Carlos Rodriguez (W, 3-4,…