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Fredericksburg Nationals earn split with 4-1 win over Lynchburg Hillcats

Chris Graham

Fredericksburg NationalsThe FredNats earned a series split Sunday in Lynchburg behind a strong start by Jose Atencio and three runs from Jared McKenzie. Fredericksburg controlled the game from the outset en route to a 4-1 victory.

McKenzie scored in the first and third on RBIs by Will Frizzell and then cruised home in the fifth on a wild pitch. James Wood followed with a home run to right to run the FredNats lead to 4-0. The blast was his second in a FredNats jersey.

The lead was more than enough for Jose Atencio, who carved a marvelous three-hit shutout effort over five innings and 71 pitches. He struck out a pair and moved to 3-1 on the season. Riggs Threadgill earned his 7th save with a scoreless ninth. He, Cody Greenhill and Marlon Perez combined to strike out seven in the final three innings.

The FredNats now stand at 29-18 in the second half and are 2.5 games ahead of Carolina and 3.5 ahead of Down East in the chase for the Carolina League North crown. The team returns home for a pivotal six-game series vs. Down East starting August 23. The set is part of a 12-game stretch at Virginia Credit Union Stadium to finish the regular season home schedule. Tickets are available at frednats.com/tickets.

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Chris Graham

Chris Graham

Chris Graham is the founder and editor of Augusta Free Press. A 1994 alum of the University of Virginia, Chris is the author and co-author of seven books, including Poverty of Imagination, a memoir published in 2019. For his commentaries on news, sports and politics, go to his YouTube page, TikTok, BlueSky, or subscribe to Substack or his Street Knowledge podcast. Email Chris at [email protected].