Salem, the Low-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox, got an early 1-0 lead in the top of the third inning, on a Mikey Romero sacrifice fly to deep left field.
But in the fourth, FredNats starter Jarlin Susanna began to struggle. He gave up a pair of singles, and a hit by pitch to load the bases with one out. Johnfrank Salazar then blasted a grand slam over the left field wall to give Salem a 5-0 lead.
Cutter Coffey added two more runs for the Red Sox with a hard single in the sixth inning, and the Salem bullpen held that lead going into the home half of the ninth.
But as the case has been all season, the FredNats, the Low-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals, did not back down from the challenge. Jonathon Thomas opened the inning with a single, then Andrew Pinckney reached on an E5. Yohandy Morales drew a walk to load the bases with one out, when Leandor Emiliani put a ball in play to the right side of the infield. It was misplayed by Salem, and two runs came in to score to put Fredericksburg on the board at 7-2.
Roismar Quintana worked a walk to load the bases again, before Marcus Brown was hit by a pitch to force in a run, and bring the tying run to the plate.
Cody Scroggins got Wilmer Perez to pop out for the second out, putting the game on Armando Cruz.
Scroggins fell behind 2-0, before Cruz crushed a game-tying grand slam to complete a seven-run comeback for the Freddies in the bottom of the ninth inning.
On to the top of the 10th, where Bubba Hall walked the bases loaded. Gilberto Jimenez then hit another grand slam to put Salem in front 11-7.
Hall held it at a four-run deficit, but the Nats could not put together another comeback, and lost 11-7.
Michael Valera got the win, and Bubba Hall took the loss.
In the series finale tomorrow, Riley Cornelio takes on lefty Noah Dean in a 1:35 first pitch.
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Chris Graham
