With the Fayetteville Swampdogs down to their final out in the top of the ninth, the visiting Swampdogs scored four consecutive runs and spoiled the home-standing Wilmington Sharks’ 2011 Coastal Plain League home opener Tuesday night.

Taking a 4-2 lead into the ninth, Wilmington reliever Josh Powell (0-1) recorded the opening two outs in order, via strikeout and fly out, before the adventure began. Back-to-back doubles from Fayetteville’s Danny Gesick and Sal Giardina were followed by back-to-back singles from Brendan McGaheran and Nick Crucet as all scored to turn the two-run deficit into a two-run advantage.

The Sharks proceeded to go quietly in the bottom of the ninth to complete the collapse.

The ending spoiled a quality start by the Sharks’ Mat Batts, who tossed five innings of five-hit, one-run baseball.

Fayetteville reliever Michael Anarumo (1-0), whose job when he came into the game was to hold the Sharks lead at two, finished off the game and earned his first win of the season.

The Sharks scored all four of their runs in the first inning with the help of two walks and a hit by pitch in an inning highlighted by Aaron Preston’s two-run double.

After the first inning, Fayetteville chipped away at the lead, scoring single runs in the third and sixth innings to set them up for the ninth inning comeback.

Wilmington tallied just five hits in the contest, with the top five hitters in the lineup each picking up a hit apiece, by in contrast, Fayetteville pounded out 12 hits, lead by Cody Davis’ three-hit night.

The Sharks (0-1) and Swampdogs (1-0) square off again on Wednesday night in Fayetteville in the Swampdogs’ home opener.