The Potomac Nationals (2-1) swept the Fayetteville Woodpeckers (1-2) in Saturday night’s doubleheader. Game one went 5-3 in favor of the home team, while game two came down to the final out, as C Alex Dunlap hit a walk-off three-run home run on the first pitch he saw in the bottom of seventh inning, as he turned a 3-2 deficit into a 5-3 win.
Game one was a fairly straightforward win, all things considered. Potomac took a 2-0 lead on a two-out, two-run double by SS David Masters in the home half of the second inning. 1B Aldrem Corredor drove in a run with an RBI single one inning later, while Potomac added a pair of insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth inning. All five runs were charged to RHP J.P. France (L, 0-1), as he pitched into the sixth inning, down 5-0.
On the mound for Potomac, RHP Jackson Tetreault (W, 1-0) allowed just one run on five hits over five innings. In his first start of the season, the right-handed starter struck out five and walked just one. Out of the bullpen, RHP Steven Fuentes (SV, 1) allowed a hit to the first man that he faced, but then retired the final six men of the game, as he closed out Potomac’s 5-1 victory.
In the back half of the doubleheader, Potomac jumped out to an early 2-0 lead against RHP Edgardo Sandoval (ND). 2B Osvaldo Abreu gave Potomac the advantage with an RBI single in the second inning, and doubled Potomac’s lead with a bases loaded HBP one frame later.
Potomac LHP Grant Borne (ND) worked himself in and out of trouble in two of the first three innings before the Woodpeckers got to him in the top of the fourth. 1B Jake Adams, who had six RBIs in the series opener on Thursday night, led off the inning with a single, while two batters later, DH Scott Manea tied the game with a two-run home run. Borne departed for RHP Andrew Lee (W, 1-0) at the end of the frame.
Lee surrendered a one-out triple to LF Corey Julks in Fayetteville’s turn in the fifth inning, and he scored one batter later on a sacrifice fly from 1B Jake Adams, which gave the Woodpeckers a 3-2 lead.
Fayetteville turned to RHP Yohan Ramirez for the final out in the bottom of the fourth inning, and he worked through trouble throughout his outing. Ramirez stranded the bases loaded in the fifth frame and then held the potential tying run in scoring position in the sixth inning. Things went sour in the seventh frame, as the right-handed reliever gave up a leadoff double to Corredor. A groundout from CF Nick Banks put Corredor, the tying run, at third base with only one out. RF Jack Sundberg then drew a walk, while Abreu struck out. Needing just one out to pick up a victory, the Woodpeckers went back to the bullpen, as RHP Tommy DeJuneas (L, 0-1) became Fayetteville’s third pitcher of the night. Dunlap, who entered the final inning 0 for 3 with three strikeouts and eight runners left on base, jumped on the first pitch from DeJuneas, and cleared everything in left field. His three-run, walk-off home run gave Potomac a 5-3 win.
Ahead in the series heading into Sunday’s matinee, Potomac will look to LHP Nick Raquet (0-0, 0.00) in his 2019 debut. In 12 starts with Potomac in 2018, Raquet went 5-3 with a 4.91 ERA. For the Woodpeckers, RHP Chad Donato (0-0, 0.00) will make his Carolina League debut. In 12 outings with Class-A Quad Cities in 2018, Donato finished 6-0 with a 2.04 ERA.
First pitch at Northwest Federal Field on Sunday afternoon is set for 1:05pm. The Potomac broadcast will get underway at 12:50pm with the P-Nats Leadoff Show. You can listen to the Potomac broadcast at potomacnationals.com, at http://bit.ly/P-NatsBroadcast, or on the TuneIn Radio App.
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