FredNats Tripped Up in Game Five by Hill City

LYNCHBURG, VA - The Fredericksburg Nationals lost their second straight game for the first time this season, falling to Hill City 8-4 on Saturday night. Hill City now leads the series 3-2 headed to the final game on Sunday afternoon.

In his second professional start, Miguel Sime Jr hit a roadblock, allowing five first inning walks, with two coming around to score for Hill City. Despite the command issues in the first, however, Sime answered in the second tossing a scoreless frame and striking out two in his only other inning of work. Off the next two pitchers in the FredNats bullpen, however, Hill City strung together both hits and free passes. The Howlers scored four runs in the third off Owen Puk, then added two more in the fourth against Isaac Lyon. The FredNats left the fourth inning facing a season high eight run deficit.

In the fifth, Jack Moroknek got the FredNats going with his first professional home run, hit to center field, to make it 8-1. After two more scoreless innings afterward, the FredNats struck for two more in the eighth off a throwing error and sacrifice fly, to trim the lead to 8-3. Ultimately, the FredNats were unable to surmount the deficit however, as a Jacob Walsh solo home run was the only offense Fredericksburg could muster in the ninth, falling 8-4.

With the loss, the FredNats dropped a second straight game for the first time in 2026. They have a chance to go for the series tie on Sunday afternoon, with an early 2:30 p.m. getaway day first pitch. RHP Landon Harmon makes his second start of the series against RHP Chase Mobley.