An inside the park home run by 1B Ryan O’Hearn three batters into the game put the Wilmington Blue Rocks (3-5 Overall, 2-0 Road) ahead 2-0, and the first baseman hit a solo home run in the sixth inning as part of a 6-3 win over the hometown Potomac Nationals (5-3 Overall, 0-2 Home) Friday night.
With highly touted prospect RHP Erick Fedde (L, 0-1) on the hill, O’Hearn hit a sinking line drive into centerfield. CF Andrew Stevensondove for it, but it got passed the 2nd round pick and came to a stop on the warning track. O’Hearn touched them all and plated 2B Corey Toups. Fedde later surrendered a solo home run to Toups, as the Blue Rocks hit three home runs Friday night after only one in the first seven games.
Fedde allowed four earned runs over six innings, as the righty struck out six and walked just one. Opposite Fedde, LHP Matt Tenuta (W, 1-0) pitched far better in his second outing vs. the P-Nats than his first. Tenuta allowed just one run on three hits over five innings, as the southpaw struck out five and did not walk a batter.
The P-Nats scored their lone run against Tenuta in the bottom of the first inning with a two-out rally. 1B Jose Marmolejos singled and later scored on C Raudy Read’s RBI double to left field. Tenuta then set down 11 in a row before 3B Khayyan Norfork singled in the fifth inning. Norfork extended his hit streak to six games with the base hit.
O’Hearn and Toups each hit a solo home run off of Fedde in a span of three hitters in the sixth inning, as the Blue Rocks led 4-1 after six. Wilmington added on two insurance runs in the following frame against RHP Andrew Robinson. CF Brandon Downes began the inning with a triple and scored on a sacrifice fly by C Chad Johnson. 3B Robert Pehl then doubled, as he scored on a single by DH Austin Bailey. Wilmington led 6-1 after seven innings.
Potomac plated a pair against RHP Derek Gordon in the eighth. Stevenson began the frame with a single and scored on SS Osvaldo Abreu’ssecond HR of the season. The home run cut the deficit to three, though Gordon then set down the next three batters that he faced. RHP Evan Beal hit 2B Bryan Mejia with a pitch to start the ninth, but Beal struck out Norfork and induced a game-ending double play off the bat of LF Dale Carey.
With a loss in each of the first two games of the homestand, the P-Nats will turn to RHP Boone Whiting (1-0, 1.80) Saturday night at Pfitzner Stadium. Opposite Whiting will be RHP Ashton Goudeau (1-0, 3.60) for Wilmington. First pitch is set for 6:35pm with fireworks set to follow the conclusion of the game. The Potomac broadcast of the evening affair gets started with the “P-Nats Lead-Off Show” at 6:20pm.
The Potomac Nationals of the Carolina League play at Pfitzner Stadium in Woodbridge, Virginia, and are the Class-A Advanced affiliate of the Washington Nationals. The Potomac Nationals have claimed five Carolina League Championship titles (1982, 1989, 2008, 2010, and 2014) and nine CL Northern Division Championships. Potomac Nationals 2016 season tickets, mini plans, and single game tickets are now on sale.
Sponsorship opportunities for the 2016 season and beyond are available. Corporate outing reservations for the 2016 season to watch the future stars of the Washington Nationals at The Pfitz may be placed now as the P-Nats offer discounted group ticket rates and all-inclusive picnics.
Visit the P-Nats online at www.potomacnationals.com or call the Potomac Nationals Ticket Office at 703-590-2311 for more information!
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