Kinston, N.C. - Trailing 3-0 in the fifth, the Wood Ducks batted around to tie the score, but never were able to jump in front, as Potomac went on to win the finale, 4-3.
Kinston, N.C. - Trailing 3-0 in the fifth, the Wood Ducks batted around to tie the score, but never were able to jump in front, as Potomac went on to win the finale, 4-3.
Down East (32-16) has not won any of their last three series, but remain 3.5 games ahead of Carolina in the Southern Division standings, heading into a four-game series with the Mudcats.
Potomac (18-28) jumped on the board early on a leadoff home run from Nick Banks to begin the ballgame. It was his fourth of the year, and the sixth given up by Francisco Villegas this season.
Villegas gave up two runs on five hits over three innings, walked three, and struck out two, but did not factor in the decision. The other run he allowed came in the third, when Aldrem Corredor lined a one out single, and later in the inning, David Masters drove him home with a double to right, putting Potomac ahead, 2-0.
Josh Advocate (loss, 2-1) followed Villegas' start. He gave up a run in the fifth on a RBI groundout by Telmito Agustin , plating Cole Freeman who led off the frame with a single, as the P-Nats went ahead, 3-0.
The Wood Ducks responded in the bottom of the fifth, batting around. Yanio Perez led off with a single, and advanced to third base on an errant pickoff throw. Then Eric Jenkins struck out but the ball got away, as he reached safely at first, and Perez came into score. After Yonny Hernandez reached on an infield single, Leody Taveras then singled home Jenkins, to draw the Woodies within one. Nick Raquet would then load the bases, and Sam Huff was hit by a pitch with the bases full to force in a run, and end the night for Raquet.
The P-Nats lefty worked 4.1 innings allowing three runs on six hits, walked one and struck out two. Carson Teel (win, 2-0) took over with the bases full and picked up back to back strikeouts to end the inning. Teel went on to work 2.2 scoreless in relief, striking out five.
Potomac then answered in the top of the sixth. Jakson Reetz singled with one out, and then Anderson Franco followed with a double to the wall in left-center, putting the Nationals back on top at 4-3.
Joe Kuzia worked 2.2 scoreless out of the bullpen, and Joe Barlow struck out two in a scoreless ninth to get the Woodies to their final at-bats still down just one. After Bryan Bonnell (save, 2) walked Jenkins on ten pitches to begin the inning, he bounced back, and got a pair of strikeouts and a popout to seal the win for Potomac.
The Woodies head to Zebulon tomorrow to begin a four game series with the Carolina Mudcats, beginning at 7 p.m. Left-hander John King (0-0, 0.69) will make his third start of the season for the Wood Ducks, opposed by Mudcats righty Matt Smith (1-4, 4.13). The pregame show will begin at 6:50 p.m. on 960AM The Bull, and online on 960thebull.com and on the MiLB and TuneIn Radio Apps.
