Though they fell behind 1-0 after the first inning, the Potomac Nationals (56-45, 22-11) opened up an eight-game road trip with a 10-2 victory Thursday night over the Carolina Mudcats (41-63, 12-22). The P-Nats plated seven runs from the second through the fourth inning, while RHP Austen Williams (W, 2-3) allowed only two earned runs over seven innings. It was Williams’ second straight seven-inning victory.
Carolina started the bottom of the first inning with hits from SS Luis Valenzuela and 2B Omar Obregon, while a sacrifice fly hit by DH Isaias Tejeda put the Mudcats on top 1-0. Carolina left Obregon at second base and then did not have another runner reach scoring position until the eighth inning. Carolina’s only other run came on a leadoff home run by RF Braxton Davidson in the fourth inning.
Down 1-0 after the first, Potomac responded with two runs in the second inning, three in the third, and two in the fourth frame, all against RHP Raymar Navarro (L, 4-3). 1B Jose Marmolejos tripled to start the second inning and scored on an RBI groundout by RF Drew Vettleson. C Raudy Read was hit by a pitch and later scored on a sacrifice fly to centerfield by 3B Bryan Mejia. Mejia’s sacrifice fly put Potomac on top 2-1 and the P-Nats held the lead for the rest of the night.
With the lead, CF Dale Carey led off the third inning with a solo home run off of the scoreboard in left field, Carey’s sixth home run of the season. Potomac followed with three straight singles, as 2B Max Schrock’s RBI base hit made it 4-1 Potomac, and a two-out RBI single by Read put the P-Nats ahead 5-1. Potomac then loaded the bases with one out in the fourth, as LF Alec Keller’s RBI single made it 6-1 and knocked Navarro out of the game. Out of the Carolina bullpen, LHP Michael O’Neal struck out SS Osvaldo Abreu, but walked Schrock with the bases loaded, as Potomac led 7-1 after the top of the fourth, while Davidson’s home run made it 7-2 through four full innings.
The score remained 7-2 until the seventh, when Potomac tagged RHP Carlos Portuondo with back-to-back hits from Marmolejos and Read, as Read’s RBI double made it 8-2 Potomac. Portuondo stranded men at second and third base in the seventh and then quickly struck out the first two men that he faced in the eighth. With two outs, the righty hit Abreu in the shoulder with a fastball, before Schrock hit a home run that bounced off of, and then over, the top of the short wall in right field. Schrock’s fourth home run of the season capped a three-hit night for the second baseman and the scoring on the night. After seven innings from Williams, LHP Justin Thomasworked two scoreless frames and secured Potomac’s 10-2 win.
All nine starters for Potomac had at least one hit, while four starters had multiple hits. Schrock’s four RBIs were the most he’s had with the P-Nats this season, one shy of his 2016 season high five set with the Hagerstown Suns. Williams now has seven quality starts in nine outings with Potomac and has averaged more than six innings per start.
Friday night, the P-Nats will turn to RHP Dakota Bacus (0-2, 4.18) as they look for their third straight win. Carolina RHP Caleb Beech (2-4, 4.26) is set to start opposite the Potomac righty. Bacus made his 2016 Potomac debut vs. Carolina on May 10th and allowed one run over 2.2 innings out of the bullpen, while Beech did not factor in the decision in his lone start vs. Potomac, as he allowed three earned runs over five innings on July 11th. First pitch at Five County Stadium in Zebulon, NC is set for 7:00pm Thursday.
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Chris Graham
