The Potomac Nationals (15-14) walked off the Lynchburg Hillcats (15-13) on Sunday afternoon at Pfitzner Stadium with a 4-3 win in 11 innings. DH Telmito Agustin drove in the game-winning run with a single to left field with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 11th. Potomac overcame a three-run deficit and salvaged the final game of the four-game series.
Lynchburg scored all of its runs in the top of the third inning against LHP Hector Silvestre (ND). C Daniel Salters drew a leadoff walk against Silvestre to open up the frame. After 2B Ivan Castillo flew out to left field, SS Willi Castro was hit by a Silvestre pitch, which put runners on first and second with one out. LF Andrew Calicadrove in the first run of the game with an RBI double in the gap in right field. The next batter, 3B Yonathan Mendoza, singled to center to drive in Castro from third. With runners on the corners, 1B Sicnarf Loopstockdrove in his fifth run in two games with a sacrifice fly to left field, which gave the Hillcats a 3-0 lead in the third inning.
The two hits that Silvestre allowed in the third were the only ones he allowed all game. Only one other base runner reached against the left-handed starter throughout the rest of his outing. He finished six strong innings and gave up just the three runs on two hits, walked two, struck out four, and a hit batter. Silvestre has now thrown five consecutive quality starts for Potomac in six starts this season.
Potomac began its comeback in the bottom of the fourth inning off of Lynchburg starter RHP Shane Bieber (ND). CF Victor Robles led off the frame with a solo home run to left field. The long ball was Robles’ third home run of the season and his second in seven games since returning from the disabled list.
Bieber impressed in his first career Carolina League start. The right-hander fired six innings, struck out seven and held The Red, White & Blue to just one run on four hits in the outing. However, his efforts were squandered by the bullpen.
The P-Nats tied the score in the bottom of the eighth inning. LF Jack Sundberg and DH Matt Page each singled to begin the frame against RHP Paul Hendrix. Manager Tripp Keister turned to the bench for speed and pinch-ran Agustin for Page at first. 2B Bryan Mejia then laid down a sacrifice bunt to put the tying runs in scoring position. With Robles stepping in, RHP Leandro Linares entered the game to replace Hendrix. Linares struggled with his control and walked Robles to load the bases. The righty forced in a run with a walk to the following batter 2B Austin Davidson and made the score 3-2. The next batter, 1B Ian Sagdal, tied the game with a sacrifice fly to right field.
The game remained even until the 11th inning. Potomac loaded the bases after a single from C Taylor Gushue, who extended his hit streak to a season-high nine games, an intentional walk to SS Edwin Lora and a walk to Sundberg. That set the stage for Agustin’s walk-off single, which he drove to left field to defeat the Hillcats 4-3.
RHP Gilberto Mendez (W, 1-0) earned the win with three-shutout innings against Lynchburg. Mendez entered in the ninth and allowed only one hit and two walks in his fourth appearance for Potomac in 2017. The bullpen kept the P-Nats in the game with five-shutout innings in the extra-inning win.
The P-Nats get the day off on Monday before hitting the road to play four games in three days against the Wilmington Blue Rocks. The opener in the series features RHP Jefry Rodriguez (3-1, 3.19) for Potomac against LHP Foster Griffin (2-2, 3.77) for Wilmington. Rodriguez took a no-hitter into the eighth inning against Down East in his last start and struck out a season-high eight Wood Ducks in the game. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 pm at Frawley Stadium. The Potomac broadcast will begin at 6:20pm with the P-Nats Leadoff Show on the Potomac Nationals Baseball Network. You can listen to the broadcast on potomacnationals.com or through the TuneIn App.
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