EXTRA SET OF KEYS: NATIONALS WIN 6-4 IN 10
RHP Matt Swynenberg got the start for Potomac and the Keys struck first off of him in the second. Kipp Shultz singled and Joe Oliveria doubled to put runners at second and third. Matt Sweeney singled in Shultz but Oliveira was gunned down by Randolph Oduber at home and the Keys led 1-0. They scored two more in the inning when Ronnie Welty hit a bases loaded single that plated two and it was Frederick 3-0 after two.
Keys starter RHP Justin Moore got into trouble early but used double play balls in the first and third. Sean Nicol would open the scoring with a massive homer to left field in the fourth and the P-Nats cut the lead to 3-1. It was his first homer of the year.
Frederick responded with a run in the bottom half on a Trent Mummy sacrifice fly that scored Matt Sweeney who led off the inning with a double. Swynenberg's day ended yielding nine hits, four runs (three earned) over three and two-thirds innings.
A pair of doubles by Adrian Sanchez and Michael Taylor plated a run for Potomac in the fifth to cut the lead to 4-2. The Nationals scored again in the sixth with back to back hits by Nicol and David Freitas to cut the lead to 4-3 and chases the starter: Moore's day ended after he threw five plus with four runs surrendered. His last run yielded was Freitas scoring on a Kevin Keyes sac fly.
The Potomac bullpen was excellent with Ryan Demmin going two and two-thirds scoreless. He was backed up by Neil Holland who retired the first five batters he faced getting out of a two on, one out jam in the seventh.
In the ninth, Holland gave up a single and hit a batter and was relieved by Cameron Selik. With two on, no out, Selik got a double play and struck Mike Flacco to get the game to extras with the score knotted up 4-4.
Frederick's bullpen was great as well not yielding any runs in their first four innings of work. But in the tenth, the P-Nats took their first lead of the game 6-4 on a two-out two-run single by Randolph Oduber with the bases loaded that scored Blake Kelso and Freitas.
Selik (1-1) retired the Keys in order with two strike outs the bottom half of the tenth to earn the victory. Chris Petrini (0-1) took the loss tossing two innings giving up two runs.
The Nationals play Frederick again tomorrow at 7:00 p.m. with RHP Kyle Winters (0-1, 4.09) taking the hill for Potomac. The P-Nats return home for four with the Salem Red Sox starting Thursday at 7:05 p.m. For tickets, call our ticket office at 703-590-2311 or visit www.potomacnationals.com.