Six runs and five extra base hits in the bottom of the fifth inning catapulted the Fredericksburg Nationals to their third straight win 8-3 over the Carolina Mudcats on Saturday night in front of over 4,100 fans at Virginia Credit Union Stadium.
Leandro Emiliani had two doubles and a two-run home run to pace Fredericksburg, who also got a quality start from Dustin Saenz. The lefty went six innings, giving up six hits and two earned runs with with six strikeouts. Saenz earns his first win of the year and second as a pro.
For the fifth game in a row in the series, the Mudcats struck first in the top of the 1st inning. Back-to-back doubles from Micah Bello and Jesus Chirinos made it 2-0 ‘Cats.
Sammy Infante was involved in the next two runs for the FredNats. He came around to score an a throwing error in the 2nd, and then blasted his second homer in as many days to dead centerfield to tie the game at two in the fourth.
Then the FredNats went to work in the 5th. Brady House had another multi-hit night, and he drove in his 11th run of the season with an RBI single to score Jeremy De La Rosa, who led off the inning with a double to give the FredNats the lead at 3-2.
Emiliani then blasted his first home run of the year to right center field to score House and stretch the lead to 5-2. RBI doubles from Jake Sullivan and Yoander Rivero also highlighted a six-run inning for the FredNats, tying their largest scoring output in an inning this year.
The Mudcats added a single run in the 9th, but never got closer and the game ended 8-3.
Tyler Schoff and Cody Greenhill pitched scoreless outings for the FredNats out of the pen as well, following up the quality start from Saenz.
The FredNats will try to take five out of six from the Mudcats when the two teams link up again tomorrow at 6:05 p.m.
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Chris Graham
