Peoples’ home run powers FredNats' fifth win of the week

FREDERICKSBURG, VA - The Fredericksburg Nationals (5-4) held on to a one-run lead to beat the Salem Red Sox (4-5) for the fifth time in six tries with Nick Peoples’ first home run of the season providing the difference in a 5-4 FredNat win.

After a doubleheader sweep on Saturday, Fredericksburg sent lefty starter Angel Roman to the hill for the second time in the series. The FredNat bats provided him an early 1-0 lead after a sacrifice fly from Kevin Bazzell in the first inning but Roman allowed a pair of runs in the second and third frames off of four hits including two doubles and a home run supplied by Salem’s Freili Encarnacion.

Fredericksburg got a run back in the bottom of the third when a Randal Diaz double allowed Yoander Rivero to trot home. At the end of the inning, it was 4-2 Red Sox.

Roman was pulled after three innings meaning an early entry for the Nationals’ bullpen which had already been taxed in the series. Despite the usage, six arms combined to throw six scoreless innings as the ‘pen provided the FredNats another opportunity to grab a comeback win. By series’ end, the bullpen had covered 27.2 IP, allowing just four earned runs, striking out 36 hitters and walking only five.

With Adam Bates, the Salem starter, out of the game in the fourth inning, Fredericksburg made its move. The first three batters reached against reliever Nicolas De La Cruz with Nate Ochoa’s single driving in Jackson Ross. Two batters later, Peoples scored Jorgelys Mota with an RBI groundout tying the game 4-4.

The game was still tied when Peoples came up to the plate his next time in the sixth against the righty Joe Vogatsky. The Salem reliever hung an offspeed pitch and Peoples didn’t miss it, slamming a moonshot to right field that clanged off the metal blue roof atop the picnic garden. A grand total of 420 feet later, the FredNats had a 5-4 lead.

Peoples finished his day with two hits, two RBI and his first stolen base of the season.

Merrick Baldo threw a spotless ninth inning with two strikeouts to grab the save (1), meaning Gavin Bruni (1-0) got the win and Vogatsky (0-1) was saddled with the loss. The FredNats won five of the six games in the series with the 5-4 victory, something the team did just once in the 2024 season.

Fredericksburg has an off day Monday before traveling to Fayetteville for a six-game series against the Woodpeckers starting Tuesday. First pitch of the opening game is scheduled for a 6:35 start.