Masters’ walk-off sends P-Nats into break with 4-3 win

Nine innings were not enough in the final game of the first half for the Potomac Nationals (34-34 Overall, 16-18 Home) and the Myrtle Beach Pelicans (36-34 Overall, 18-18 Road), as the two clubs went to the bottom of the 11^th inning before Potomac 1B David Masters plated C Raudy Read with a single, as Potomac pulled out a 4-3 win.

The P-Nats jumped out to an early 3-0 lead against RHP Jeremy Null (ND). Read put Potomac on the board with a solo home run in the second inning, the catcher’s second home run of the series and third of the season. CF Dale Carey then led off the third frame with his fourth home run of the season, and three singles in a span of four hitters made it 3-0. 3B Drew Ward’s RBI single plated 2B Bryan Mejia, Potomac’s final run until the 11^th.

In his fourth start with Potomac, LHP Matthew Crownover (ND) worked out of a bases loaded jam in the first frame and started the outing with four scoreless innings. With a man on first and two outs in the fifth, DH Ian Happ launched a two-strike, two-out pitch over the wall in left field. Happ’s third home run of the season series made it 3-2 Potomac. Crownover got the final out of the fifth, as he allowed just two runs on four hits over five innings in the no-decision.

After two shutout innings from RHP Gilberto Mendez, RHP Wirkin Estevez entered and gave up the game-tying run in the eighth inning. 1B Yasiel Balaguert singled with one out and went to third on a double by 3B Jason Vosler. C Gioskar Amaya followed with a sacrifice fly to centerfield, which tied the game at three.

The score remained 3-3 until the 11^th, as Potomac had just one base runner from the sixth through 10^th inning. After LHP Tommy Thorpe (L, 2-4) retired the side in order in the 10^th inning, the lefty walked Read to start the 11^th. LF Alec Keller failed to get a sacrifice bunt down, but with two strikes, the All-Star found a gap in front of centerfielder Rashad Crawford. RF Drew Vettleson laid down a successful sacrifice bunt, which moved the winning run to third base. With the infield and outfield drawn in, Masters hit a high fly ball to centerfield, which would have been deep enough for a sacrifice fly, but Crawford failed to get to it, as it went in as a walk-off RBI single for the Potomac infielder.

In the top half of the frame, LHP RC Orlan (W, 3-2) worked around a two-out single by 2B Andrew Ely, as Myrtle Beach left the go-ahead run at third base in the 10^th and at second base in the 11^th.

Sunday afternoon featured Potomac’s second walk-off of the five-game series and the club’s third of the first half. The P-Nats finished the first half at 34-34, third place in the Northern Division. Entering the All-Star break, Potomac will send four players out to The Diamond in Lake Elsinore, CA, as RHP Ryan Brinley, 3B Drew Ward, CF Andrew Stevenson, and LF Alec Keller will represent The Red, White, & Blue for the Carolina League.

Potomac will open up the second half at Calvin Falwell Field in Lynchburg, VA vs. the Hillcats. First pitch Thursday, June 23^rd is set for 6:30pm between the P-Nats and Hillcats.