The Potomac Nationals (19-18, 49-55) won their second straight game against the Frederick Keys (11-24, 40-64) on Saturday night, collecting 14 hits and seven runs in support of LHP Tim Cate for a 7-2 victory.
CF Cole Freeman went 3-for-4 with two doubles and two runs batted in, and DH Jakson Reetz finished a triple shy of the cycle in a balanced attack. The P-Nats clinched a series win, and are in position to earn just their second three-game sweep of the season in the finale on Sunday afternoon.
Potomac jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second off RHP Ofelky Peralta (L, 0-1) with back-to-back hits from 2B Austin Davidson and Reetz, followed by a two-out RBI single from SS Gilbert Lara and a run-scoring wild pitch. In the bottom half, Frederick halved their deficit with a pair of doubles from C Brett Cumberland and SS Cadyn Grenier.
Cate (W, 3-3) allowed the Keys to tie the game 2-2 in the fifth on a safety squeeze from CF Cole Billingsley, but fanned RF Robert Neustrom to strand two baserunners and end the inning. The Potomac lefty allowed two runs on eight hits, striking out three and turning in his first Potomac outing without a walk.
In the top of the sixth, RF Telmito Agustin hit a go-ahead RBI double off the bat of Frederick 3B Jomar Reyes to start a three-run inning. Potomac would load the bases off Peralta with two outs, forcing RHP Scott Burke to enter to face Freeman. The center fielder chopped a two-run single up the middle, extending the Potomac edge to 5-2.
RHP Andrew Istler and RHP Hayden Howard bridged the gap to the ninth with three combined scoreless innings, and Reetz added some insurance with a two-run homer in the top of the ninth. RHP Frankie Bartow faced just three men as he closed out the game in the bottom half of the inning.
The P-Nats go for the sweep against Frederick on Sunday as RHP Malvin Peña takes on Keys RHP Brenan Hanifee. First pitch is scheduled for 1:00 pm from Nymeo Field, with the P-Nats Leadoff Show beginning at 12:45 on the Potomac Nationals Baseball Network. Fans can listen to the Potomac broadcast at potomacnationals.com or on the TuneIn Radio App.
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Chris Graham
