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Marathon ends in wacky fashion: P-Nats win 3-2

p-natsWith the bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the 12th inning, the Potomac Nationals (14-8 Overall, 4-7 Home) sent 3B Drew Ward to the plate. Ward hit a weak ground ball to first base, where Wilmington Blue Rocks’ (6-16 Overall, 5-6 Road) first baseman Ryan O’Hearn came home with the throw. Catcher Chad Johnson pulled his foot off of the plate prior to the ball arriving, as SS Osvaldo Abreu scored the game-winning run on a throwing error charged to O’Hearn.

To get to the 12th inning, both squads cashed in on some, but not most, of their opportunities. For the Blue Rocks, it was eight two-out hits throughout the night put them in the lead on two separate occasions, though they dropped their eighth straight. Against Potomac RHP Phillips Valdez (ND) in the fifth inning, LF Romans Collins doubled to centerfield with two outs and then scored on C Chad Johnson’s single to left field. The pair of two-out hits made it 1-0 Wilmington. Valdez allowed just one run on five hits over seven innings and did not walk a batter in the no-decision.

Wilmington RHP Zach Lovvorn (ND) was equally as good as Valdez, as the righty similarly gave up just one run over seven innings. Lovvorn surrendered just three hits but also walked three and failed to strike out a single hitter. The P-Nats loaded the bases with no outs in the sixth against the righty on a single by CF Andrew Stevenson and walks drawn by Abreu and 1B Jose Marmolejos. Lovvorn got C Raudy Readto ground into a 4-6-3 double play, but Stevenson scored from third and tied the game at one.

It remained 1-1 into the 10th inning when both teams fended off the rain and plated a run. In the top half of the frame, it was another two-out rally for the Blue Rocks. With RHP Greg Ross on the hill, CF Brandon Downes doubled to center field with two outs and scored a batter later on 3B Wander Franco’s RBI single. Franco’s hit however was the last of the night for the Blue Rocks as they continued to come up on the short end of close games.

Down to their final three outs, the P-Nats got started right away in the bottom of the 10th. Stevenson doubled on the first pitch of the inning from RHP Matt Alvarez (L, 0-2). A sacrifice bunt by Abreu moved Stevenson to third base, and the Potomac centerfielder scored on an RBI single by Marmolejos. After Alvarez retired Read, Ward doubled into the gap in right-centerfield, but Marmolejos was held up at third base. With the winning run 90 feet from ending the game, DH Bryan Mejia struck out and sent the game to the 11th inning.

Both sides went 1-2-3 in the 11th and then RHP Ryan Brinley (W, 1-0) set down the Blue Rocks in order again in the 12th. Brinley faced six batters, retired all six, three via the strikeout, as he tallied his first win of the season.

Alvarez returned to the hill for the 12th inning and loaded the bases with nobody out. Stevenson drew a leadoff walk, Abreu reached on a bunt single paired with a throwing error by the pitcher that allowed Stevenson to get to third base. With men on the corners, Wilmington intentionally walked Marmolejos, the third intentional walk of the night by the Blue Rocks’ staff. With another chance with the bases loaded, Read grounded out to Alvarez and forced Stevenson out at the plate. On came LHP Tim Hill to face the left-handed hitting Ward. Ward, who seemed surprised that Marmolejos hadn’t scored the winning run on his double in the 10th, stepped in and hit a routine ground ball to first base. O’Hearn’s throw to Johnson at the plate was on point, but as Abreu slid feet first into the plate, home plate umpire Zach Tieche immediately signaled that Johnson’s foot came off the plate before he made the catch. Ruled a throwing error on O’Hearn, the P-Nats picked up their first walk-off win of the season.

Despite the eight two-out hits on the night, the Blue Rocks went just 3-10 with men in scoring position and left 13 men on base. Potomac fared even worse, as the Nationals left 13 men on and went 1-10 with men in scoring position. Abreu had three hits in the win for the P-Nats, while Collins had four of Wilmington’s nine hits in the loss.

For the 15th and final time in the first half, the P-Nats and Blue Rocks will meet Sunday afternoon. First pitch is set for 1:05pm, as RHP Wirkin Estevez (0-1, 3.78) gets the nod for Potomac. Opposite Estevez will be RHP Pedro Fernandez (2-0, 1.21) who has been one of the top pitchers in the Carolina League through the first three weeks of the season. The P-Nats broadcast can be heard beginning at 12:50pm with the “P-Nats Lead-Off Show” on PotomacNationals.com and via the TuneIn Radio App. Sunday is also “Bark in the Park” and “Family Fun DaySunday” at Pfitzner Stadium.

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