The Fredericksburg Nationals won a fourth straight game Saturday at Atrium Health Ballpark. TJ White hit a dramatic two-out solo home run in the eighth to break a 5-5 tie and propel the FredNats to a 6-5 series-clinching win.
Dustin Saenz started for the FredNats and was solid across five innings. He allowed three runs (three earned) and struck out seven. He was in line for the win when he exited prior to the sixth.
Riggs Threadgill (2-0) would earn the win after pitching a 1-2-3 seventh. Jose Ferrer would earn his first save by facing the minimum on four pitches in the eighth and leaving the tying run on second in the ninth. FredNat pitching allowed just two walks.
A 2-run homer by Sammy Infante built a 2-1 lead in the second. The blast was the fourth of the year for Infante, who leads the team in homers. Brandon Bossiere, who reached three times in the game, added an RBI base knock in the third. Brady House, who reached four times in the game, sent a 2-RBI base hit through the left side in the fifth to make it 5-2.
A Kannapolis rally netted three runs in the fifth and sixth to knot the score at 5. With two outs in the eighth, White blasted off for the second time this season, taking righty reliever Johnny Ray (1-1, 4.35 ERA) 418 feet over the right field wall to put the FredNats in front. 9 of the game’s 11 runs were scored with two outs.
The FredNats (10-4) are the first team to ten wins in the Carolina League. The current four-game winning streak is the longest of the year for the team. The loss dropped Kannapolis to 7-7.
RHP Andry Lara (0-1, 2.57 ERA) will take the mound tomorrow looking to pitch the FredNats to five wins in six games at Atrium Health Ballpark. LHP Brooks Gosswein (0-0, 6.75 ERA) is expected to start for Kannapolis. First pitch is scheduled for 1 pm ET.
The FredNats return home for a six-game homestand vs. the Charleston Riverdogs starting April 26 at 7:05 pm ET. Tickets are available at https://www.milb.com/fredericksburg/tickets/single-game-tickets.
Share
Chris Graham
