The Frederick Keys scored runs in bunches, with four in the fourth and three in the sixth, powering their way to an 8-4 victory over the Salem Red Sox on Tuesday night at LewisGale Field.
Trey Ball had faced the minimum through three innings, allowing only a first-inning leadoff single to Josh Hart that was erased with a pickoff. Ball ran into trouble in the fourth, though, as the first four Frederick batters reached base. Tanner Witt walked, Chance Sisco singled, Jeff Kemp walked then Yaisel Mederos bounced an infield single to the right side. Mario Martinez fielded the grounder and tried to throw across his body to Ball covering at first base, missing wide. Witt scored on the single and Sisco followed on the throwing error, making it 2-0.
Wynston Sawyer lifted a sacrifice fly in the next at bat, deep enough to score Kemp from third base. Connor Bierfeldt followed with an RBI double, scoring Mederos and pushing to Frederick lead to 4-0.
Ball lasted into the sixth, recording one out and walking Sawyer before being pulled in favor of Kyle Kaminska. Bierfeldt blasted the first pitch from Kaminska deep over the left-center field wall for a two-run homer.
Ball (8-9) gave up five runs, four earned, on five hits and five walks with three strikeouts in 5.1 innings pitched.
Anthony Caronia stashed a single to right in the ensuing at bat and stole second base, placing himself in scoring position. With two outs, Hart clobbered a ball to the left-center gap, scoring Caronia from second. Hart tried to leg a double into a triple, but a relay from Forrestt Allday and Mauricio Dubon arrived at third ahead of Hart, who was thrown out to end the inning with the Keys leading 7-0.
Salem did not go quietly into the night, though, as they put up three runs in the bottom of the sixth. Wendell Rijo walked to lead off the inning and moved to second on a Kevin Heller single. Mario Martinez then singled to left, scoring Rijo for the Sox first run of the game. Hart airmailed a throw past Sisco at home, allowing both runners to advance. After an RBI groundout from Cole Sturgeon, Jordan Procyshen singled in Martinez for the third run of the frame. With two outs, Yoilan Cerse shot a liner toward right-center that Caronia leapt for at second and just managed to pull down for the third out, ending the inning with the score 7-3 Frederick.
The Sox added another run in the seventh when Rijo drove in Dubon on an RBI single. Frederick pushed an insurance run across in the ninth with Jay Gonzalez scoring on a wild pitch.
Salem native Mikey O’Brien (1-3) picked up the win for Frederick, allowing three runs on seven hits and two walks with three strikeouts in 5.2 innings pitched. Rijo was 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored, Heller finished 2-for-4 with a walk and a run scored and Procyshen went 2-for-4 with an RBI.
The series continues Wednesday at 7:05 p.m.with Salem sending Teddy Stankiewicz (3-10, 3.86) to oppose Frederick’s Luis Gonzalez (5-8, 6.51). Fans unable to attend can listen to the game on 1240 AM ESPN Roanoke, online at salemsox.com or via the TuneIn Radio app.
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Chris Graham
