For the third straight day, the Potomac Nationals (17-14) and Carolina Mudcats (14-18) went to 10 innings. For the second time in the series, it was the Mudcats who came away with a walk-off victory, as 3B Jordan Edgerton’s bases loaded single in the 10th ushered the Mudcats to a series victory.
For the second straight game, the P-Nats fell into an early 2-0 hole. RHP Luis Reyes (ND) gave up just two runs on five hits over six innings and notched his second quality start but left on the hook for the loss. Reyes walked RF Braxton Davidson and C Tanner Murphy in succession in the second, and an RBI single by 2B Ryan Gebhardt made it 1-0 Carolina. Three innings later, Gebhardt started the fifth frame with a double and scored on SS Reed Harper’s double one batter later. Carolina led 2-0 after five innings.
Behind the bottom half of the order, the P-Nats tied the game with a run in the sixth and a run in the seventh. RF Narciso Mesa led off the sixth inning vs. RHP Enderson Franco (ND) with a solo home run, Mesa’s first home run of 2016. With two outs in the seventh, Franco surrendered a double to 2B Bryan Mejia. LF Alec Keller followed with a groundball to third base, which went off the hand of Edgerton and allowed Mejia to score from second base, just barely beating the throw from the Carolina third baseman.
The score remained 2-2 until the 10th inning, as RHP Greg Ross, RHP Mick VanVossen, and LHP Justin Thomas (L, 1-2) provided shutout frames in the seventh, eighth, and ninth innings. After Franco went the first seven for Carolina, RHP Carlos Salazar tossed two shutout frames despite three walks. RHP Sean McLaughlin (W, 1-1) faced only three hitters in the top of the 10th, as CF Andrew Stevensonpopped out, SS Osvaldo Abreu singled but was caught trying to steal second, and 1B Jose Marmolejos flied out to LF.
Thomas, who got the final out of a 1-2-3 9th inning, returned for the 10th and gave up a leadoff triple to CF Keith Curcio on a ball just passed the outstretched glove of Keller in left field. After intentional walks to 1B Joey Meneses and DH Joseph Odom, Potomac drew the infield in and added Keller as a fifth infielder playing in front of the second base bag. Edgerton hit a rocket just over the glove of 3B Drew Ward, as the Mudcats walked-off with a 3-2 win.
Following three straight extra-innings games, the P-Nats will head to Winston-Salem to play the Dash for the first time in 2016. The Nationals will look to RHP Phillips Valdez (4-1, 3.79) in an effort to pick up a series-opening victory. Valdez leads the P-Nats with four wins on the season. For the Dash, RHP Jordan Stephens (0-4, 5.40) will take the hill in search of his first win of the season. Stephens has pitched more than four innings just once in his first six starts. First pitch is set for 7:00pm at BB&T Ballpark.
The Potomac Nationals Baseball Network will carry live coverage of the game beginning with the “P-Nats Lead-Off Show” at 6:4pm. P-Nats Gameday Audio on the Potomac Nationals Baseball Network is available at www.potomacnationals.com or via the TuneIn Radio App.
The Potomac Nationals of the Carolina League play at Pfitzner Stadium in Woodbridge, Virginia, and are the Class-A Advanced affiliate of the Washington Nationals. The Potomac Nationals have claimed five Carolina League Championship titles (1982, 1989, 2008, 2010, and 2014) and nine CL Northern Division Championships. Potomac Nationals 2016 season tickets, mini plans, and single game tickets are now on sale. Sponsorship opportunities for the 2016 season and beyond are available. Corporate outing reservations for the 2016 season to watch the future stars of the Washington Nationals at The Pfitz may be placed now as the P-Nats offer discounted group ticket rates and all-inclusive picnics. Visit the P-Nats online at www.potomacnationals.com or call the Potomac Nationals Ticket Office at 703-590-2311 for more information!
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Chris Graham
