Potomac Nationals top Winston-Salem Dash in series opener

The Potomac Nationals (43-42-Overall, 18-23-Road, 10-5-Second Half) scored three runs in the top of the first and an insurance run in the top of the ninth to give RHP Austen Williams his first Carolina League win, 4-2 over the Winston-Salem Dash (39-46-Overall, 20-21-Home, 9-6-Second Half) at BB&T Ballpark on Friday night.

Williams (1-0, 3.00), just promoted on July 8th, 2015 from the Hagerstown Suns, was making his Carolina League debut and he did not disappoint. Williams was hit hard in the first inning, giving up two runs before hanging five zeros before departing and at one point retiring 10 in a row and 11 of 12. In his six innings he gave up two runs (earned) on three hits, he walked two and struck out two while logging a quality start.

Potomac against the starter RHP James Dykstra (3-7, 3.60) for Winston-Salem were still looking for revenge for his seven inning no hitter against the P-Nats back The Pfitz on April 15th, 2015. Dykstra, like Williams for Potomac, had a tough first inning.

CF Narciso Mesa began it all with a single. LF Alec Keller then reached on an error charged to the 2B Jake Peter, who bobbled a ground ball allowing Keller to reach safely, putting runners on first and second. Two batters later C Spencer Kieboom singled to load the bases. After a 3B Drew Ward lineout was the second out of the inning RF John Wootencame to the plate. With Wooten batting the Dash C Omar Narvaez threw a snap throw down to third trying to catch Mesa off of third base. The throw was low and it skipped down the left field line for an error that allowed both Mesa and Keller to score, giving Potomac a 2-0 lead. Kieboom moved up to second base and Wooten drove him in with an RBI single for a 3-0 lead.

Winston Salem against Williams scored their two runs in the bottom of the first on a lead-off walk to CF Adam Engel. 2B Jake Peter groundout to move Engel to second base. 3B Trey Michalczewski singled home Engel to cut the lead to 3-1. 1B Keon Barnum then doubled home Michalczewski to make it a 3-2 Potomac lead.

Both Williams and Dykstra settled down following the bumpy first inning on both sides of the diamond.

Dykstra, after allowing three hits in the first inning to Potomac, allowed only three more hits in the following six frames and at one point retired 12 in a row until a two out single snapped the streak in the top of the fifth.

Dykstra took the loss pitching seven innings and allowing three runs (none earned) on six hits, a walk and he struck out five. Dykstra, after winning his first three starts, has now lost seven of his last 10 to fall to 3-7 on the season.

RHP Nate Jones, in Winston-Salem on a rehab stint for the Chicago White Sox, came out of the bullpen in the eighth and gave up a single to SS Stephen Perez but got a 5-4-3 twin killing and then a Ward fly out to end the inning.

Still leading 3-2 heading into the seventh Williams was lifted for RHP Tyler Mapes, who held the Winston-Salem bats at bay. Mapes logged two scoreless innings picking up four strikeouts without a walk and he allowed just two hits to get the game to the ninth inning.

Potomac added an insurance run in the ninth against LHP Jefferson Olacio. With one out 1B Grant Debruin doubled, moving to third on a DH Estarlin Martinez groundout. 2B Khayyan Norfork, the hero from yesterday against Lynchburg, doubled home Debruin for a 4-2 Potomac lead.

RHP Manny Rodriguez came out of the bullpen in the bottom of the ninth to close out the win in the series opener against the Dash. Narvaez greeted Rodriguez with a lead-off double but then RF Nolan Early grounded out. DH Toby Thomas struck out and SS Clueluis Rondon flew out to right field to end the ball game with Narvaez stranded at third base and clinching the 4-2 Potomac win.

Potomac has now won 10 of their last 13 games and has also won the opener in four of their last five series and it’s no surprise Potomac has won four straight series as well.

The P-Nats are now over the .500 mark at 43-42 for the first time since April 26th, 2015 when they were 9-8 and they improve to a league best 10-5 in the second half of the Carolina League season.

Tomorrow’s Game Two of the four-game set will see RHP Ian Dickson (0-0, 0.00), a 2014 Potomac National, will make his first start this season after being activated from the disabled list earlier in July against LHP Jordan Guerrero (1-1, 4.84).

Tomorrow’s Game Two is set for a 6:30 pm first pitch from downtown Winston-Salem and Potomac Nationals baseball will be on the air starting at 6:15 pm. You can listen live via the TuneIn Radio App as well as atwww.potomacnationals.com starting with the “P-Nats Lead-Off Show.”