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Potomac Nationals spoil Salem Red Sox home finale

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salem red soxThe Potomac Nationals scored three runs over their final two at-bats and walked away with a 4-1 victory over the Salem Red Sox on Sunday evening at LewisGale Field.

The Red Sox welcomed their third straight sellout crowd of 6,378 fans, marking the seventh sellout of the season, which breaks the record of five sellouts from last season. In total, Salem welcomed 228,120 fans to LewisGale Field over 69 openings in 2015.

Kyle Kraus made a spot start for the Red Sox and retired the first seven batters he faced before giving up back-to-back doubles in the third inning to Estarlin Martinez and David Masters with the latter plating the former with his two-bagger.

That was the only run Kraus gave up in six innings of work. He scattered three hits, struck out three and walked one while not factoring in the decision.

Still trailing 1-0, Salem tied the game thanks to aggressive baserunning in the last of the seventh. Jordan Procyshen led off the frame with a double and with one down, took off for third while Jordan Betts hit a grounder to third. First baseman Grant DeBruin recorded the out at first and fired back to third to try and retire Procyshen, but Masters, who was covering the base, slipped and had the ball fly past. Procyshen turned the corner and headed home to tie the game.

The gift of a run was reciprocated, though, in the top of the eighth. With Masters at third and one down, Narciso Mesa lifted a ball to left that Mike Meyers caught on a dead run moving in. Masters bluffed a tag, but Meyers’ throw sailed all the way to the backstop allowing Masters to race home on the throwing error.

Potomac added two runs in the ninth inning on an RBI double from Khayyan Norfork and an RBI single from Masters against Brandon Show, who took the loss for Salem. Show (1-1) allowed three runs, two earned, on five hits in three innings of relief.

Tyler Mapes (5-3) started and won for Potomac, yielding just an unearned run on eight hits in seven innings pitched. Derek Self picked up his second save of the year with two scoreless frames.

The Red Sox finish the home portion of their schedule with a 31-38 mark at LewisGale Field. Salem is now 60-72 on the season and 22-40 in the second half. Potomac improved to 62-70, 29-33 in the half.

After an off day Monday, Salem hits the road for the final seven games of the year starting on Tuesday in Lynchburg at 6:30 p.m. Teddy Stankiewicz (3-11, 4.11) is scheduled to make the start for the Sox against the Hillcats’ Mitch Brown (9-11, 4.84). Fans unable to attend can listen to the game on 1240 AM ESPN Roanoke, online at salemsox.com or via the TuneIn Radio app.

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