FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. – The Fayetteville Woodpeckers (6-7) and Fredericksburg Nationals (7-6) back and forth all game long on Friday night, but the defending Carolina League champions outlasted the Woodpeckers for the second straight night, grabbing a 9-6 win in 12 innings.
Both starters silenced their opposition early, but in the bottom of the third, Fayetteville turned to small ball to draw first blood. A pair of walks and a base hit loaded the bases, setting the stage for Caden Powell to drive in the game’s first run on a sacrifice fly. Moments later, Esmil Valencia caught the FredNats defense by surprise and scored on a delayed steal of home, placing the Woodpeckers ahead 2-0.
Fredericksburg fought back with a run-scoring ground out in their next turn at bat, but Fayetteville pitching stepped up to limit the damage and keep their lead intact. The trio of Cole Hertzler, Francisco Frias, and Raimy Rodriguez proceeded to hold the Nationals in check, taking a 2-1 game into the seventh inning…