The FredNats exploded for 13 runs in a rain-shortened 13-4 win over the Lynchburg Hillcats on Thursday.
Sammy Infante worked a walk in the top of the first inning, then quickly came around to score when Daylen Lile, the #16 prospect in the Washington Nationals organization, followed with an RBI double to right field.
Paul Witt then plated Lile later in the inning with his RBI groundout to make it 2-0 Nationals. Jonathan Thomas manufactured a third run when he got hit by a pitch the next inning, stole second, moved to third on a fielder’s choice, and scored on an Infante single.
Lynchburg tied the game in the bottom of the third, though the FredNats quickly bounced back. Thomas led off with a single aided by an error that allowed him to take second base, then moved to third on a fielder’s choice. Infante delivered once again with an RBI knock to score Thomas and retake the lead at 4-3.
Lile and Brady House, the Nats’ #5 prospect, followed suit with run-scoring singles of their own, and Witt added one more when he drove House in, to make it 7-3 Fredericksburg.
Marc Filila hit a solo home run in the bottom of the fourth for Lynchburg, but in the FredNats’ fifth, Lile and House both drew bases-loaded walks to drive in two more runs. Later in the frame, Roismar Quintana blew the game open with a grand slam, which put the Freddies ahead 13-4.
Jose Atencio gets the ball with a chance to tie the series tomorrow, against Lynchburg’s Yorman Gomez. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30.