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Valdez, Stevenson highlight Potomac’s 6-1 win

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p-natsOn his 22nd birthday, Potomac CF Andrew Stevenson had one of his best nights of the season in a 6-1 win for the Potomac Nationals (27-22 Overall, 15-10 Road). Stevenson led off the game with a double, had a two-RBI single in the second, singled in the fourth, and reached on an error in the sixth. Meanwhile, RHP Phillips Valdez (W, 6-2) tossed seven innings for the second time in his two starts vs. the Frederick Keys (25-26 Overall, 9-15 Home). Valdez allowed only one run on four hits in his fourth seven-inning outing of the season.

The P-Nats got the scoring started three batters into the game against LHP Trevor Belicek (L, 0-1). After Stevenson led off the night with a double, the outfielder moved to third base on a groundout by SS Osvaldo Abreu. 1B Jose Marmolejos made it 1-0 with a sacrifice fly, his third RBI in the past two games.

Potomac then used a three-run second inning to extend the lead and put the game out of reach. With the bases loaded, RF Dale Carey pickedup an RBI on a ground ball chopped right in front of the plate. Stevenson followed with a two-run, two-out single to right field, as Potomac led 4-0 after 1.5 innings. Belicek hit C Raudy Read and walked 3B Drew Ward in the third, and LF Alec Keller had a two-strike, two-out, two-run double, which capped Potomac’s scoring and made it 6-0.

Valdez rarely faced a major jam, as he allowed just four men to reach base over the first six innings. He erased a leadoff walk in the fourth with a double play and a leadoff single in the fifth with another double play. In Valdez’s final frame, RF Conor Bierfeldt popped up in between third base and the plate and it fell between multiple players. Ruled an infield double, Bierfeldt then scored on 3B Jomar Reyes’ RBI single, the third hit of the night for the third baseman.

Out of the bullpen, RHP Robert Benincasa worked two perfect innings in relief, as he retired the final six batters of the game, three via strikeout. For the Keys, RHP David Richardson allowed just one base runner and struck out four over 3.1 innings, while LHP Tanner Scott struck out five and walked two over two scoreless frames.

In the Potomac win, Stevenson went 3-5 with two RBIs, while Keller went 2-4 with a pair of RBIs. All nine Potomac starters had either a hit, scored a run, or had an RBI. The P-Nats earned the victory despite going 2-13 with men in scoring position. Valdez went seven innings for the fourth time in his past seven starts, and he has gone at least six innings in seven consecutive starts.

Off of the win, Potomac will look towards Thursday’s doubleheader at Nymeo Field. First pitch of game one is scheduled for 5:00pm, as RHP Greg Ross (2-2, 1.08) is set to toss for Potomac, while RHP Yovani Gallardo (0-0, 0.00) is scheduled to make a rehab start for the Keys. Gallardo had a 7.00 ERA in four starts with the Baltimore Orioles before he went on the disabled list with right shoulder bicep tendinitis. Ross meanwhile has not allowed a run over his three starts this season.

In those three starts, he is 2-0 and has given up just 11 hits in 16.1 innings. Game two is set to feature LHP Matthew Spann’s (1-0, 4.15) first Potomac start, while Frederick is scheduled to counter with RHP Lucas Long (2-3, 3.12). Long allowed one run on six hits on May 20th in a win over Potomac.

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