Five-run seventh dooms Potomac Nationals

Fredrick (30-32-Overall, 12-22-Road) broke a 1-1 tie with two runs in the second and never looked back, adding five tallies in the seventh to roll to a 9-3 victory over the Potomac Nationals (28-34-Overall, 15-15-Home) on Saturday night at Pfitzner Stadium.

RHP John Simms made his ninth start of 2015, pitching six innings and giving up four runs (all earned) on seven hits, he walked two and struck out two, taking his fifth loss of the season.

Simms was opposed by RHP Mikey O’Brien of the Keys, who toed the rubber for the first time in the Carolina League in 2015.

Fredrick jumped out in front in the top of the first when CF Johnny Ruettiger doubled. Two batters later 2B Jeff Kemp knocked him in with a single for his 21^st RBI of the season.

Potomac came back in the bottom of the first and tied the ballgame when 2B Christopher Bostick led-off with an infield single. Bostick swiped the second base bag, his 14^th of the season, and moved to third on a wild pitch by O’Brien. SS Stephen Perez tied the game with a sacrifice fly, bringing home Bostick for his fourth sac fly of the season.

Frederick took the lead for good in the top of the second when 1B Wynston Sawyer reached on an infield single. 3B Anthony Caronia tripled home Sawyer for a 2-1 Keys advantage. Two batters later Ruettiger brought home Caronia with an infield RBI single and the lead was 3-1.

Simmsy allowed a solo home run in the top of the fifth to DH Tucker Nathans to make it a 4-1 lead for Frederick.

RHP Jake Johansen entered the ballgame and faced five batters, never recording an out. Johansen allowed the bases to become loaded and then issued back-to-back RBI walks to Nathans and Sisco to push the Frederick lead to 6-1. The Keys would add two more runs on a double by SS Adrian Marin against the new pitcher RHP Derek Self. Caronia wrapped the scoring in the frame with a double play ball that scored Sisco for a 9-1 lead.

Potomac added a run in the home half of the seventh when 3B Khayyan Norfork singled. C Craig Manuel stepped up and knocked in Norfork to make it 9-2 Frederick.

The P-Nats added an unearned run in the bottom of the eighth when LF Isaac Ballou reached on a free pass. He came home to score on the eventual error charged to Kemp at second base.

That ended the scoring for the ballgame and Potomac was in the loss column 9-3 to the Frederick Keys.

Sunday’s pitching match-up presents RHP Phillips Valdez (0-1, 5.02) for Potomac vs. LHP Chris Lee (1-2, 5.40) for the Keys in the series finale at The Pfitz.