Potomac, Wilmington split doubleheader

Following a rainout on Friday night, the Potomac Nationals (72-61, 35-31) and Wilmington Blue Rocks (67-70, 34-34) split a doubleheader on Saturday night at Frawley Stadium. Behind a seven-run second inning, Potomac took game one 8-1, while the Blue Rocks used a three-run third inning and four-run fourth frame in route to an 8-3 game two victory.

Scoreless in the top of the second inning of game one, LHP Daniel Tillo (L, 3-5) got a quick first out, but then surrendered nine consecutive hits. CF Nick Banks started the rally with a double, while the next eight batters singled. RF Rhett Wiseman, LF Telmito Agustin, 2B Bryan Mejia, and DH Luis Garcia each had an RBI single, while 1B Aldrem Corredor drove in a pair with a base hit, and SS Andruw Monasterio made it 7-0 and knocked Tillo out of the game with an RBI single. Tillo allowed seven runs, all earned, on eight hits over just 1.1 innings. RHP Corey Ray provided 2.2 innings of relief for Wilmington, but he surrendered a solo home run in the fourth inning to Barrera, which made it 8-0 Potomac.

Opposite Tillo, RHP Jackson Tetreault (W, 1-1) tossed his best start thus far for Potomac. Tetreault took a shutout into the final frame, when he gave up an unearned run on a two-out double by LF Vance Vizcaino. Tetreault struck out eight and allowed just four hits over seven frames in his first Carolina League win, as the P-Nats won 8-1.

Potomac got off to a good start in game two, with a run in the first inning and another in the third frame against RHP Carter Hope (W, 6-3). CF Jack Sundberg gave Potomac a 1-0 lead with an RBI single in the first frame, though Potomac left the bases loaded. With two outs in the third inning, Corredor hit a towering solo home run to right field, as Potomac led 2-0 after 2.5 innings.

Things fell apart for the P-Nats in the home half of the third inning, as Wilmington put three runs across against RHP Kyle Johnston (L, 5-2). The Blue Rocks sent nine men to the plate, as CF Blake Perkins pulled Wilmington within one run with an RBI double, while RF Rudy Martin tied the game with a single. Two batters later, 3B Emmanuel Rivera gave the Blue Rocks the lead for good at 3-2.

Johnston came back out for the fourth inning, but all four batters that he faced reached base and eventually scored. DH Oliver Nunez doubled and then scored on an RBI single from SS Angelo Castellano, which made it 4-2 Wilmington. LF Jackson Lueck plated Castellano with a single, while Perkins drew a walk, which ended Johnston’s night. LHP Hayden Howard entered for Potomac and allowed two inherited runners to score, as Wilmington led 7-2 after four innings. Johnston gave up seven runs, all earned, on seven hits over 3.0+ frames.

The P-Nats got a run in the fifth inning against Hope, as Garcia tripled with two outs and then scored on an RBI single from 3B Ian Sagdal, but the Blue Rocks got the run back on consecutive doubles off of Howard in the sixth inning. The Blue Rocks led 8-3 after six frames, while RHP Anthony Bender retired the side in order in the seventh and closed out Wilmington’s victory.

Potomac and Wilmington are set to play another doubleheader, as the teams will match up once again at Frawley Stadium on Sunday afternoon. The teams will then conclude the five-game series with a matinee matchup on Monday.

First pitch at Frawley Stadium on Sunday is set for 12:05pm. The Potomac broadcast will get underway at 11:50am with the P-Nats Leadoff Show. You can listen to the Potomac broadcast at potomacnationals.com, at http://bit.ly/P-NatsBroadcast, or on the TuneIn Radio App.