Nine-run third Sends FredNats to 11th straight loss

A four-error, nine-run third inning was the centerpiece of Fredericksburg’s 13-2 loss at the hands of the Delmarva Shorebirds on Saturday night, the 11th loss in a row for the struggling FredNats to start the 2021 season.

The FredNats (0-11) managed only one hit against the Shorebirds (8-3), who won their fifth consecutive game.

Leif Strom (L, 0-3) allowed single runs in the first and second, thanks to an RBI double from Gunnar Henderson and a solo homer from Ramon Rodriguez. Henderson finished 3-for-5 with 4 RBI, giving him 13 RBI through the first five games in the series.

On a minor league rehab assignment, Delmarva starter Mike Baumann worked around three walks to put up zeroes in the first two frames. Things went sideways in the top of the third, as the FredNats committed four errors and allowed Delmarva to score nine runs on only three hits. Strom was lifted for Jordan Bocko, who got the final two outs and ultimately pitched 2.2 innings of relief without allowing an earned run. Only two of the nine runs were ultimately charged as earned in the inning.

A solid 3.0 innings of relief from Zach Peek (W, 1-0), the originally scheduled starter for the Shorebirds, was interrupted in the fourth when the FredNats managed to scrape together a pair of runs. After a pair of walks, Jeremy Ydens singled off the top of the wall in left field to load the bases, giving the FredNats their only hit of the night. A wild pitch and run-scoring groundout from Jeremy De La Rosa followed, bringing the score to 11-2.

Houston Roth (S, 1) pitched the final frames for the Shorebirds to earn a three-inning save. Bryan Peña allowed only one run in 3.0 innings of relief for the FredNats in the back third of the game.

The FredNats look to avoid a sweep at the hands of the Shorebirds on Sunday as RHP Karlo Seijas faces off against Delmarva’s RHP Jake Lyons. First pitch from FredNats Ballpark is scheduled for 1:35, with FredNats On Deck beginning at 1:20 on the FredNats Baseball Network. A video broadcast of every home game is available with a subscription to MiLB.tv.