In revenge of a doubleheader sweep just over a week ago in Myrtle Beach, SC, the Potomac Nationals (33-32 Overall, 15-16 Home) returned the favor Friday evening in Woodbridge, VA. C Raudy Readhit Potomac’s first walk-off home run of the season in a 4-2 extra innings game one victory, and the P-Nats survived a final inning rally in a 4-3 win in game two over the Myrtle Beach Pelicans (34-33 Overall, 16-17 Road). Potomac fell behind early in each game, but has now won three consecutive games when the club has given up the first run of the game.
With RHP Erick Fedde (ND) making his return from the disabled list, Potomac looked up at a deficit after just the top of the second inning. Fedde, who threw 60 pitches in the four-inning no-decision, stranded two men on base in the first inning but could not work around a leadoff walk in the second. After he issued a free pass to 3B Gioskar Amaya to begin the second inning, the righty gave up a one-out single to C Erick Castillo, before LF Charcer Burks made it 1-0 with an RBI base hit. That was the only run that Fedde allowed, as the righty struck out two, walked two, and gave up three hits.
Potomac quickly tied the opening half of the doubleheader, as 3B Drew Ward homered to begin the home half of the second inning against RHP Jonathan Martinez (ND). It was Ward’s team best 11th home run of the season, the second most in the Carolina League.
The P-Nats then took the lead against Martinez in the fourth inning. 1B Jose Marmolejos led off the frame with his team best 23rd double of the season, and after Martinez retired the next two hitters, RF Drew Vettleson had a two-out RBI single, as Potomac led 2-1 after four innings.
Fedde turned the ball over to the bullpen, and RHP Mario Sanchez pitched three innings of two-hit relief. The righty gave up the lead in fifth, as CF Rashad Crawford drew a one-out walk and advanced to second base on a fly out by SS Gleyber Torres. 2B Ian Happ followed with a game-tying RBI single. The game remained tied 2-2 into extra innings.
After RHP Ryan Brinley (W, 3-0) worked around a one-out walk in a scoreless eighth, Marmolejos drew a leadoff walk against LHP Tommy Thorpe (L, 2-3) in the home half of the frame. Ward flied out to centerfield, but Read followed with his first home run since the season-opener. Read’s walk-off home run just barely cleared the wall in left-centerfield. It was Potomac’s first walk-off win since April 30th and just the team’s second of 2016.
Coming off of the emotional win in game one, Potomac found itself behind before stepping into the batter’s box in game two. RHP Boone Whiting (W, 7-2) walked Torres with one out in the first inning. After the righty retired Happ, 1B Yasiel Balaguert tallied his team best 46th RBI with a two-out double. The Pelicans added a run in the second inning on a double, a sacrifice bunt, and a sacrifice fly, but then did not score again until the final frame.
Down 2-0 through 3.5 innings, Potomac sent nine men to the plate as part of a four-run fourth inning against RHP Zach Hedges (L, 6-5). Thanks to two errors and another defensive misplay, Potomac managed to turn a two-run deficit into a two-run lead. C Matt Reistetter led off the inning with a single, while 2B David Mastersfollowed with an infield single to SS Andrew Ely. Ely’s throw got past Balaguert at first base, as the E6 put runners on second and third with no outs. CF Andrew Stevenson hit what could have been a double play ball, but with the previous error, his groundout to second base brought Reistetter home and made it 2-1. SS Osvaldo Abreu followed with an RBI groundout to Torres, which tied the game at two. Four straight hitters then reached with two outs, as Marmolejos singled, his second hit of the game, Ward had an RBI double, which proved to be the game winner, Vettleson reached on an error by Happ at second base, and DH Alec Keller made it 4-2 with a two-out RBI base hit.
Whiting tallied his team best seventh quality start, as the righty allowed just two runs on six hits over six innings. Whiting gave way to LHP RC Orlan (SV, 7) for the seventh frame and the Pelicans nearly tied the game. Orlan issued a one-out walk to Burks before he struck out Crawford. Down to his final strike, Torres singled to centerfield, which put the tying runners on base. Happ followed with a two-out double into the left field corner, which plated Burks, though Torres was held up at third base. With the tying run at third and the go-ahead run at second, Balaguert lined out sharply to Stevenson in centerfield, as Potomac held on to the 4-3 victory.
With one doubleheader in the books, the two squads will return to Pfitzner Stadium Saturday night for another twin bill. Game one starts at 5:00pm, while game two will start approximately 30 minutes after the first game wraps up. RHP Austen Williams (0-1, 2.57) and RHP Luis Reyes (3-6, 5.18) are set to start the two games for Potomac, while RHP Trevor Clifton (4-3, 2.21) and RHP Erick Leal (8-3, 3.55) are scheduled to get the starting nod for Myrtle Beach.
Share
Contributors
