The 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
