The Fredericksburg Nationals opened up their two-week road trip with a 6-4 victory over the Myrtle Beach Pelicans on Tuesday.
It was the Pelicans, the Low-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs, who got on the board first in this series opener, in the bottom of the second inning. Christian Hernandez and Jefferson Rojas each singled off of starter Brad Lord, to put runners on the corners with one out. Lord got Rafael Morel to pop up for the second out, but Reivaj Garcia smoked a double back up the middle to plate a pair, and Myrtle Beach took a 2-0 lead.
Fredericksburg, the Low-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals, immediately punched back in the top of the third. Armando Cruz singled to open the inning, then Yoander Rivero reached on an E5. After a strikeout, Daylen Lile ripped a two-strike pitch just fair inside the first base line for a game-tying triple. Elijah Green then brought Lile in with an RBI groundout. Paul Witt followed by crushing a towering solo home run off the scoreboard in left-center field, Witt’s team-leading 8th homer of the season to make it 4-2 Nats.
Jonathon Thomas added another run with his solo blast down the left field line in the top of the fifth, and Green picked up another RBI in the seventh on an infield single to make it 6-2 Fredericksburg after seven innings.
Myrtle Beach battled back in the home half of the eighth, putting runners on the corners with nobody out against Mason Denaburg. The righty got Hernandez to ground into a 6-4-3 double play that scored one run, then allowed a second run in the frame on an infield single between shortstop and third base that saw the Pellies pull with two runs.
Marquis Grissom Jr. took the ball in the ninth, looking for his second save this year. He allowed a two-out single but nothing further, closing the door on a 6-4 FredNat win. He got the save, with Miguel Gomez earning his fifth win, and Grant Kipp taking the loss.
In Game 2 of the week, Bryan Caceres takes on Michael Arias in a 7:05 start.
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Chris Graham
