Nationals Light Up Fayetteville 16-7

FREDERICKSBURG, VA - A day after being shutout, the FredNats erupted for 16 runs on 17 hits in a 16-7 victory over the Fayetteville Woodpeckers.

The lineup was clicking from the jump for the FredNats, as Phillip Glasser singled to begin the bottom of the first. Elijah Green drew a walk later in the frame, before Jose Colmenares plated both men with his two-run single into center field.

Glasser once again got the ball rolling for the Nats in the second inning, with a two-out double. Gavin Dugas followed suit to chase Glasser in, before a walk followed by a single from Green added another two runs to make it 4-0 Freddies.

The Woodpeckers took advantage of some shaky pitching in the third, as a pair of walks and a hit batter by Bryan Sanchez loaded the bases with nobody out. A sac fly, E1, and fielder’s choice grounder turned into three runs for Fayetteville, cutting the lead to just 4-3.

Fredericksburg did not let the game stay close for very long at all. Brenner Cox led off the third with a single, then an E8 and a walk filled the bases with no outs. Phillip Glasser plated a run with an RBI ground out to short, then a successful double steal allowed Armando Cruz to score from third base. After another walk, Brandon Pimentel smoked a double into right field to tack on another couple of runs, putting the Nationals up 8-3.

After a scoreless top of the fourth, the FredNat order continued to tee off. Singles from Armando Cruz, Everett Cooper III and Phillip Glasser helped extend the lead to 11-3.

Woodpecker pitching settled into more of a groove in the middle innings, putting up their first zeroes of the afternoon in the fifth and sixth innings, before their bats got going in the top of the seventh. Alejandro Nunez worked a leadoff walk, then came all the way around to score on a Yamal Encarnacion single that was aided by an E9. A sac fly added another run, before Waner Luciano crushed a solo home run to make it 11-6 FredNats.

Five runs was as close as Fayetteville would get. Brenner Cox launched a two-run homer in the home half of the seventh inning, before another pair of doubles from Glasser and Dugas added two more runs to make it 16-6. The Woodpeckers scratched one more run across in the eighth, but ultimately fell 16-7. Both clubs now sit at 7-4 on the season.

In game three of six, Jose Atencio (1-0, 2.35) takes the ball for the Nats against Alonzo Treadwell (0-1, 15.43) in a 7:05 start.