FREDNATS SPLIT SERIES WITH 6-2 SUNDAY VICTORY
The Nats wrapped up their week against the Woodpeckers with a 6-2 win, to secure a series split. Both clubs are now 9-6 on the season.
Phillip Glasser got the ball rolling for Fredericksburg, with a leadoff walk and a steal of second base. After a pop out, Elijah Green got plunked to put runners on first and second. Brandon Pimentel then delivered for the Freddies once again, with a line drive single to put the Nats up 1-0. Jose Colmenares followed Pimentel up with a sacrifice fly, bringing Green in from third base to make it 2-0
Armed with a two run lead, FXBG starter Travis Sthele was very effective. He allowed just one baserunner in the second inning, and worked around a single and a walk in the third to hold on to a 2-0 edge.
Fredericksburg manufactured another run in the home half of the third. Pimentel was clipped by a pitch, before he advanced to second base on a wild pitch. A Colmenares single pushed Brandon to third base, and Brenner Cox plated him with a sac fly to make it 3-0 FredNats.
Travis Sthele wrapped up his afternoon with a scoreless fourth inning, as he blanked the Woodpeckers, while striking out three.
The Nationals gave themselves some more breathing room in the bottom of the inning, which began with back-to-back singles from Nate Ochoa and Tyler Baca. Fayetteville did manage to turn a double play on a ball in play from Phillip Glasser, although Ochoa advanced to third base. A passed ball then allowed Nate to scamper home and extend the lead to 4-0. The inning rolled on, as Everett Cooper III worked a walk and Elijah Green singled, setting up Brandon Pimentel with runners on second and third base. The left-handed Pimentel came through again for the FredNats, as he plated two more runs to make it 6-0 Fredericksburg.
Six runs was plenty of cushion for a FredNat bullpen that has been excellent all season long. Mason Denaburg tossed two scoreless frames in relief of Sthele, before Samuel Vasquez followed him. Vasquez ran into some trouble in the eighth inning as the Woodpeckers scored a pair of unearned runs against him. Kevin Rodriguez relieved Vasquez and finished out the eighth, before firing a perfect ninth inning to secure a 6-2 FredNat win. Denaburg (1-0) earned his first win, Raimy Rodriguez (1-1) got the loss, while Rodriguez picked up his first save of 2024.
