Canning, Corredor crush Woodpeckers in 7-1 P-Nats win

The Potomac Nationals (29-35) won their fourth consecutive road game on Thursday night in their first game at Segra Stadium, defeating the Fayetteville Woodpeckers (29-37) by a score of 7-1. RF Gage Canning and 1B Aldrem Corredor each homered and combined to drive in all seven runs for an easy victory.

RHP Kyle Johnston (W, 6-7) returned to ace form after a pair of short starts, turning in his team-leading seventh quality start with 6.0 innings of four-hit, one-run ball. The righty outdueled RHP Chad Donato (L, 3-7), who pitched deeper into the ballgame but took the loss for the Woodpeckers.

Potomac jumped out to an early lead in the first when 2B Cole Freeman walked, stole second and scored on Corredor’s RBI single to left-center. It would be the first of three times on base for the All-Star Corredor, who ended the night two shy of the league lead with 46 runs batted in.

In the third, the P-Nats scored an unearned run when C Jakson Reetz singled and took third on a sacrifice bunt from CF Armond Upshaw that was misplayed. Canning delivered his first of three big hits on the night, lining a single to center over the drawn-in infield to extend Potomac’s lead to 2-0.

Fayetteville got their lone run in the bottom of the third when DH Chandler Taylor and 2B Miguelangel Sierra each doubled against Johnston. But the righty escaped further trouble, and didn’t allow more than one hit in any of his remaining innings to keep the Woodpeckers at bay.

Canning ripped another RBI single to score SS Osvaldo Abreu in the fifth, and Corredor homered over the center field fence in the sixth to make the score 4-1. Canning dealt the decisive blow in the seventh, greeting reliever RHP Tanner Duncan with a three-run homer to right center to extend the Potomac lead to 7-1.

Johnston fanned eight over his 6.0 innings, and gave the rest of the ballgame to the bullpen. RHP Jhonatan German pitched 2.0 innings of hitless ball, and RHP Andrew Istler got the final three outs in the ninth.

The P-Nats continue their series in Fayetteville as LHP Carson Teel takes the mound against RHP Austin Hanse on Friday night. First pitch from Segra Stadium is set for 7:00, with the P-Nats Leadoff Show beginning at 6:45 on the Potomac Nationals Baseball Network. Fans can listen to the Potomac broadcast at potomacnationals.com or on the TuneIn Radio App.