LILLINGTON, N.C. (Interstat) — Ben Tryon hit a first-inning grand slam, Juan Fraide struck out six over five scoreless innings and the Fayetteville Woodpeckers defeated the visiting Charleston RiverDogs 7-4 on Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2026, at Jim Perry Stadium to complete a sweep in Game 2 of their Carolina League A-Advanced playoff series. Fayetteville won the best-of-three series 2-0. The Woodpeckers improved to 73-56, while the RiverDogs fell to 72-62. Attendance was 4,102 and the game took 2 hours, 51 minutes.

Fraide was the winning pitcher, allowing one hit and no earned runs while striking out six. He moved to 7-2. Charleston starter Jacob Kuhn took the loss and dropped to 2-3. Fayetteville’s bullpen finished with Brandon Cassedy striking out six over two innings, though he allowed two earned runs. Charleston relievers Yereny Teus and Jordi Infante each threw two scoreless innings with two strikeouts. Cesar De Jesus pitched one inning, allowed no hits and two earned runs while striking out two.

The decisive stretch came immediately. Kam Durnin doubled to left to open the bottom of the first, Kevin Alvarez singled, and Owen Nowak walked to load the bases. Tryon then drove a grand slam to right field, giving Fayetteville a 4-0 lead before Charleston recorded its first hit. Fraide protected the advantage, retiring the RiverDogs in order in the second and fourth while working around a walk in the third. Charleston did not get a hit until Andreimi Antunez singled in the fifth.

Fraide entered after allowing six hits and two earned runs over four innings in a Sept. 8 win against Fredericksburg. Against Charleston, he was sharper. He struck out Slater de Brun and Taitn Gray in the first, Tom Poole in the second, J.D. Gonzalez in the third and Taitn Gray again in the fourth. He added a strikeout of Dean Moss in the fifth. His only hit allowed was Antunez’s line-drive single in the fifth. The Woodpeckers also turned double plays behind him in the third and fifth, erasing leadoff traffic.

Fayetteville added to its lead in the seventh. Aaron Piasecki was hit by a pitch, Durnin walked and Logan Hughes walked to load the bases. Alvarez singled to right, scoring Piasecki and Durnin. Waner Luciano followed with a groundout that brought home Hughes for a 7-1 cushion. Alvarez finished 3-for-4 with two RBIs, while Tryon went 1-for-4 with four RBIs. Durnin had one hit in two at-bats. Fayetteville grounded into two double plays, one in the third and another in the fifth.

Charleston chipped away late. Cooper Flemming homered to right-center in the sixth. Slater de Brun doubled in the eighth to drive in J.D. Gonzalez after Gonzalez and Alberth Palma singled. In the ninth, Antunez singled and Dean Moss hit a two-run homer to right-center, cutting the deficit to 7-4. Moss finished 1-for-4 with two RBIs, and Flemming was 1-for-4 with one RBI. The RiverDogs collected seven hits, while the Woodpeckers had six. Charleston’s last rally ended with Jack Lines, Gonzalez and de Brun striking out around a walk.

Fayetteville’s victory ended the series and sent the Woodpeckers onward after they had won the opener 14-4 on Sept. 13. Charleston had entered the postseason after going 72-62, while Fayetteville’s 73-56 record reflected the best form in the matchup. The Woodpeckers’ combination of Fraide’s early dominance and Tryon’s grand slam proved enough to withstand Charleston’s three late home runs. Fayetteville pitchers combined for 14 strikes, 58 balls and 14 balls in play, while Charleston’s staff combined for 18 strikes, 50 balls and 18 balls in play.

Before the game, Interstat’s game simulator projected a final score of Charleston 6, Fayetteville 5. Interstat’s ELO system gave Fayetteville a 55.2 percent probability to win. Neither projection matched the final result, as Fayetteville won by three runs and closed the series.