Mitchell Parker nearly perfect in 2-0 FredNats victory

Mitchell Parker took a no-hitter into the sixth inning and struck out a career-high 10 batters as the Fredericksburg Nationals started their six-game road trip with a 2-0 win over the Down East Wood Ducks on Tuesday night.

Parker (W, 2-1) delivered 6.0 innings of one-hit ball, allowing only a one-out triple to Evan Carter in the sixth inning, and earned his first professional win. His 10 strikeouts established a high water mark for FredNats pitchers through the opening weeks of the season.

Fredericksburg didn’t get much offense, collecting only four hits on the night, but Jeremy De La Rosa provided all the runs required to lock down the victory. The outfielder, making his return to the lineup after missing several days with an injury, hit his first FredNats homer in the first off Abdiel Mendoza (L, 0-2) to put Parker in front before he threw a pitch. He also collected a single, a walk, and a run-scoring groundout in the eighth to provide an extra insurance run.

Jordan Bocko backed up Parker with two hitless innings of relief, and Amos Willingham (S, 1) worked around a pair of two-out singles in the ninth to earn the save.

The FredNats continue their series at Down East on Wednesday as they look for their second win in a row. First pitch from Grainger Stadium is scheduled for 7:00, with FredNats On Deck beginning at 6:45 on the FredNats Baseball Network.