Frederick (46-51-Overall, 21-28-Road, 14-13-Second Half) used a four run fifth inning to cruise to a 5-1 win in the series opener against the Potomac Nationals (45-50-Overall, 25-24-Home, 12-13-Second Half) at Pfitzner Stadium on Wednesday night.
RHP Austen Williams (1-2, 2.30) made his third start for the Potomac Nationals in the series opener against the Frederick Keys. Williams held Frederick hitless through the first four frames, issuing two walks and striking out one.
Potomac, against LHP Chris Lee (3-5, 3.43), took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of third when with one out RF Narciso Mesadoubled. Two batters later 3B Anthony Rendon, in his fourth appearance on his rehab stint with Potomac, drove in Mesa with an RBI single to give Potomac the lead. Rendon finished three-for-three in the game with three singles. He also made a fantastic defensive play on a chopper that he backhanded back of the third base bag and threw from foul terrirtory to get the runner.
Lee was good for Frederick, pitching six innings while only allowing one run (earned) on nine hits, no walks and he struck out three in the win.
Frederick blew the game open in the fifth against Williams when the Keys began the frame with four straight hits including an RBI double by DH Conor Bierfeldt. The first run came home for Frederick on the third straight single by 1B Wynston Sawyer and CF Rafael Bautista bobbled the ball in centerfield allowing RF Tad Gold to score to tie the game 1-1. The Bierfeldt double gave Frederick a 2-1 advantage. With two outs CF Josh Hart hit a ball up the third base line that1B Grant DeBruin fielded and flipped to Williams covering the first base bag. Williams dropped the ball and that allowed both Sawyer and Bierfeldt to score to make it a 4-1 lead for the Keys.
Williams didn’t make it through the fifth frame, lasting only 4.2 innings before being lifted for RHP Ian Dickson. Dickson pitched 2.1 scoreless innings and gave up only one hit, two walks and he struck out one.
RHP Jimmy Yacabonis entered in the seventh and hurled two scoreless innings on one and he picked up one strikeout.
Frederick added an insurance run in the top of the ninth after RHP Tyler Mapes pitched a scoreless eighth inning. The Keys got a lead-off single from 3B Tanner Witt to begin the inning. After a LF Jay Gonzalez sacrifice bunt, C Chance Sisco knocked in Witt with a single to make it 5-1 Keys.
LHP Cody Wheeler came in and pitched the bottom of the ninth, hitting 2B Khayyan Norfork, then allowing a single to Mesa and walking Bautista to load the bases with two outs. 3B Drew Ward, who replaced Anthony Rendon in the seventh took the count full but eventually struck out to end the ballgame.
The Keys, with the 5-1 win have now won eight of their last ten ballgames and now have a one game lead over Potomac for first place in the Carolina League’s Northern Division with Wilmington only a half game back. Potomac has now lost seven of eight.
The P-Nats turn to RHP Lucas Giolito (3-5, 2.83) to try to even the series against RHP David Hess (5-4, 4.44) for the Keys.
First pitch is set for 7:05 pm in Game Two from The Pfitz with gates opening at 6:00 pm and you can listen live starting at6:50 pm with the “P-Nats Lead-Off Show” on the Potomac Nationals Baseball Network via the TuneIn Radio App or at www.potomacnationals.com.
Fans in attendance tomorrow can look forward to Thursday Cheers at The Pfitz, which includes dollar drink specials.
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Chris Graham
