Wood Ducks close 2018 with loss to Winston-Salem

Yanio Perez’s fifth-inning three-run dinger wasn’t enough to defeat the Carolina League Southern Division champion Winston-Salem Dash in Monday’s regular season finale for the Down East Wood Ducks as the Dash defeated the Woodies, 5-3, in front of 1,611 fans at Historic Grainger Stadium.

Perez’s home run – his fourth of the season – gave the Wood Ducks (24-46 second half, 59-81 overall) a 3-2 lead before the Dash scored a run in the seventh inning and two more in the eighth to secure the first and second half championships of the Southern Division race.

The DEWDs banged out nine hits, including multi-hit efforts by Leody Taveras and Josh Altmann. Starting Wood Ducks pitcher Emerson Martinez didn’t factor into the final decision; the right-hander Guigue, Venezuela scattered eight hits over his seven innings of work, giving up three runs (two earned) while striking out six and walking one in 93 pitches.

Winston-Salem, which will face the Buies Creek Astros in the Southern League best-of-three championship series starting Wednesday, was led by second baseman Nick Madrigal’s 4-for-4 performance from the plate. He scored two runs for the Dash (43-25, 84-54).