Clegg Quiets Hillcats, P-Nats Win 6-2
Mitchell Clegg fired his best outing of the year and Potomac knocked off Lynchburg 6-2 from City Stadium on Friday night.
The Woburn, MA native improved to 2-2, only allowing four hits and never dealing with any significant jams. The one run he allowed came in the first inning when he hit lead-off man Todd Cunningham and then gave up a double to Phil Gosselin two batters later. Cunningham came all the way around from first to score, but by that point, Potomac had all the runs it needed.
The P-Nats started off hot for the second night in a row. On Thursday afternoon in Frederick, Potomac had nine runs by the end of the third. Tonight, the Nationals scored three in the first.
The P-Nats made it 1-0 when Destin Hood doubled to score Jeff Kobernus from first. Two batters later Steven Souza launched a two-run long ball to left field to make it 3-0. It was Souza's first home run since April 21st. He now has six homers and 27 RBI, both lead the P-Nats.
The double by Hood continues his hot streak. The right fielder tacked on another double in the third and he's 11-21 (.524), with two home runs and nine RBI over the last six games.
In the third, a two-out rally expanded the lead for Potomac. Eury Perez and Jeff Kobernus led off the inning with outs against Lynchburg starter Dimasther Delgado, but Hood, Justin Bloxom and Souza drilled back-to-back-to-back doubles to make it 5-1.
Even though Perez led off that inning with an out, he stayed white hot tonight. He finished the game 3-5, with a triple and an RBI. The RBI came in the sixth inning and it was Potomac's sixth and final run of the evening.
Hector Nelo came out of the pen for Potomac and wrapped the 6-2 win. It was the righty's second appearance for the P-Nats and he went two innings, allowed two hits and one run.
Tonight gave Potomac its first three-game winning streak of the season and it leads the season series with Lynchburg 2-1. The two teams played a rain shortened two-game series to open the 2011 season on April 9th and 10th. The P-Nats stay in third place in the Carolina League Northern Divison behind Wilmington and Frederick. The Hillcats remain in last.
Game two of this three-game set is tomorrow from City Stadium in Lynchburg with first pitch set for 6:05 p.m. A pair of righties square off, with Trevor Holder (1-5, 5.57) going for the P-Nats, and Zeke Spruill (2-4, 2.88) pitching for the Hillcats.