Dylan Crews goes deep for first professional homer in FredNats win

Max Romero Jr. crushed a walk-off home run to cap a thrilling weekend for the Fredericksburg Natiohals with an 8-5 win over the Salem Red Sox on Sunday.

The Nats jumped on Salem starter Noah Dean in the bottom of the first inning. Dylan Crews, the #2 overall pick in last month’s MLB Draft, got the day started with his first professional home run, a laser over the wall in left-center.

Andrew Pinckney doubled later in the frame, and a pair of walks loaded the bases. Dean then fired a wild pitch to the backstop, and Pinckney scored from third to make it 2-0 Fredericksburg.

Riley Cornelio got through the first two innings scoreless, but allowed the first three men in the third inning to reach base with no outs. Mikey Romero capitalized on the situation with a two-run double, knotting things up at 2-2. Cornelio battled back, and got through the fifth inning without allowing any further damage.

In the home half of the fifth, the Freddies, the Low-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals, punched right back. YoYo Morales singled, then Pinckney blasted his first professional home run to put the FredNats back in front 4-2.

Later in the frame, Gavin Dugas also went yard for his first professional bomb, giving Fredericksburg a 5-2 edge.

Salem, the Low-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox, did not pack it in, finding a counterpunch in the very next half inning. With two outs, Johnfrank Salazar walked and moved to second on a wild pitch. Albert Feliz plated Salazar with a single down the left field line, to cut the deficit to 5-3.

After a scoreless seventh, Salem got a leadoff double from Jhostynxon Garcia, and he moved to third on a sacrifice fly. Salazar came up clutch for Salem again, chopping a ground ball to the right side which got Garcia in to score and make it 5-4.

In the top of the ninth, Marquis Grissom Jr. entered looking for his eighth save of the season. But Albertson Asigen doubled as the leadoff man, moved to third base on a Juan Montero fly ball, and then scored to tie the game on a Gilberto Jimenez sacrifice fly.

But in the bottom of the ninth, Yohandy Morales ripped his own leadoff double, then Pinckney reached on an E5 to put two men aboard. After a fly out, Max Romero Jr. demolished the first pitch he saw for a walk-off three-run homer, giving Fredericksburg a 8-5 win.

The win wrapped up a five-win week for the Nats, to put themselves right back in the playoff picture.

Fredericksburg hits the road next week for a series against the Lynchburg Hillcats.