The Fredericksburg Nationals picked up 4-3 win in their first game of the week against the Carolina Mudcats on Tuesday.
Neither club could manufacture a run through five innings. For the Nats, Jake Bennett was dominant once again. While he only struck out a pair of Mudcats, Bennett allowed just two base hits and one free pass. For Carolina, they utilized a trio of bullpen arms to cover the first five innings.
But in the top of the sixth, Fredericksburg broke through. Roismar Quintana opened the inning with a double, then Brenner Cox reached base on an E1 that allowed Quintana to score the first run of the game.
Armando Cruz followed with a single, and Cortland Lawson tacked on another run with an RBI double to left field. Daylen Lile made it a 3-0 edge with his single to plate Cruz, before Brady House lifted a sacrifice fly to right, which Lawson scored on to push it to 4-0 Freddies.
Yet in the bottom of the sixth, Matthew Wood drew a bases loaded walk for the Mudcats first run of the night.
Tyler Yankosky entered to begin the bottom of the ninth for the FredNats, and he allowed a single and a walk, before a wild pitch pushed both runners up a base. Kaylan Nicasia then pulled Carolina to within two runs with a sacrifice fly into left field.
The Mudcats kept the pressure on by adding another run on a fielder’s choice groundout. But Yankosky found the pitch he needed, inducing a ground out right back at him to lock down the win for Fredericksburg.
Yankosky secured his second save, with Bennett earning his first win. Tyler Wehrle took the loss for Carolina.
In Game 2 tomorrow, Jarlin Susana gets the nod for the FredNats, against righty Patrick Aquino for a 7:00 p.m. first pitch.
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Chris Graham
