Mudcats' Campbell plays all nine positions, earns save in season finale win

Fayetteville, N.C. — Noah Campbell played all nine positions and earned the save as the Mudcats defeated the Fayetteville Woodpeckers 5-2 in the final game of the 2021 season on Sunday afternoon at SEGRA Stadium. Tyler Black went 4-for-5 with the go-ahead RBI in the eighth and Alex Binelas hit a two-run home run in the first for the Mudcats in the season finale victory.

The Mudcats (68-52) led 3-2 going into the ninth before adding some insurance with two unearned runs on a, bases loaded, two-out throwing error by pitcher Carlos Hiraldo. The error was the second in the inning and fourth of the game for the Woodpeckers (55-65). It also scored both Hedbert Perez and Zack Raabe after they started the inning with consecutive singles. Campbell (S, 1) also walked to load the bases in the ninth, but went 0-for-4 with a walk at the plate.

Campbell, a product of Cardinal Gibbons High School in Raleigh, N.C., started the game at catcher in the first inning before moving to first base in the second. He then went to second in the third inning, third in the fourth, shortstop in the fifth, left field in the sixth, center in the seventh and right field in the eighth. Campbell then pitched the ninth where he would earn the save after retiring three straight batters.

For the Mudcats, it was Black who led the way offensively while going 4-for-5 with two stolen bases and the go-ahead RBI in the eighth. Black’s fourth and final hit of the game scored Eduardo Garcia from second after he was hit by a pitch earlier in the eighth by reliever Kasey Ford. Ford (1-2, 5.06) took the loss after allowing just the one run and striking out three. Garcia scored twice in the game for Carolina as he also walked and scored on Binelas’ two-run home run in the first. The home run was the ninth of the season for Binelas and the third in his final six games of the season.

The Woodpeckers scored twice with both runs coming off reliever Brailin Rodriguez in the third and sixth innings. Miguel Palma brought in the first Fayetteville run with a sacrifice fly in the third and Nerio Rodriguez brought in the second with a RBI single in the sixth.

Rodriguez was the second pitcher in the game for the Mudcats as he followed starter Brendan Murphy in the second. Murphy faced three and walked one while working a scoreless first. Rodriguez followed and went on to work into the sixth while allowing both of Fayetteville’s runs over four and 2/3 innings. Rodriguez also walked four, allowed three hits and struck out six.

Nate Peden took over for Rodriguez in the sixth where he left two inherited runners on base. Peden (2-0, 5.23) struck out three and allowed just one hit while going through two and 1/3 scoreless innings to earn the win.

With the victory, the Mudcats finished their final series of the season with a 3-3 split. They also closed the year with a 68-52 record and in second place in the Low-A East Central Division standings.

Before Campbell, Justin Toole was the last Mudcats player to accomplish the unique feat of playing all nine spots in a game and did so during "Toole Time" night at Five County Stadium on August 25, 2012. Toole started in right field before playing a different position each inning the rest of the way. Toole finished the game by catching the eighth and pitching the ninth. He gave up a pair of solo homers in the ninth, but then struck out the final two batters to complete the 4-2 win. Campbell is also the second player to play all nine in a game for Manager Joe Ayrault as Nate Orf did the same on August 31, 2014 while playing for Ayrault and the Brevard County Manatees.