Mayberry allows one hit in gem for Potomac

Potomac won't know its division fate until later today, but Whit Mayberry did his part to keep the dream alive.

Mayberry allowed one hit over seven scoreless innings and Victor Robles had three hits and scored twice to help Potomac's division hopes stay alive in a 3-1 win over Myrtle Beach on Monday afternoon.

Mayberry (4-4) struck out a career-high nine batters and allowed just a one-out double in the first inning to Daniel Spingola. After that, the 26-year-old righty was lights-out, limiting the Pelicans to three more baserunners, one on a walk to Andrew Ely in the second.

The Class A Advanced Nationals needed a win Monday and a loss from Lynchburg to win the Carolina League's North Division. They've clinched a playoff spot regardless.

Mayberry retired nine straight batters between the second and fifth innings before Jesse Hodges reached on an error with two outs in the fifth. Ian Rice also reached on an error in the seventh, but Mayberry popped up Jeffrey Baez and Ely to end the inning and his outing.

The win marked just the second time Mayberry has pitched seven innings in his career, matching the mark he sent July 22 when he held Winston-Salem to two four runs on five hits. Monday's effort was perhaps his most efficient since he held Bradenton hitless over four innings of relief last July 16.

The Winston-Salem, North Carolina, native was originally the Tigers' 21st-round pick in the 2014 Draft out of Virginia. He signed with the Nationals as a free agent June 27 after spending last season in the Detroit system with Double-A Erie and Class A Advanced Lakeland, going a combined 4-6 with a 2.14 ERA in 33 relief outings. The Nationals have since transitioned him to more of a starting role, and he's responded well -- in 13 outings, eight of which were starts, he went 3-4 with a 3.51 ERA in 59 innings in the Carolina League.

Potomac took a lead in the first when Robles hit a leadoff single and scored on Bryan Mejia's RBI single to right. Osvaldo Abreu and Austin Davidson added run-scoring hits in the fifth.

Pelicans starter Jeremy Null (5-6) went three innings, allowing one run on six hits while striking out one for Myrtle Beach (82-57).