FredNats Drop Doubleheader, Lose a Series for the First Time in 98 Days
Fredericksburg, VA - The Fredericksburg Nationals lost both games in todays doubleheader against the Hill City Howlers. Game one was 7-5, game two was 4-1. In game one, the FredNats fell behind just as the game started. Dauri Fernandez led off the game with a double, stole third, then scored
Fredericksburg, VA - The Fredericksburg Nationals lost both games in todays doubleheader against the Hill City Howlers. Game one was 7-5, game two was 4-1.
In game one, the FredNats fell behind just as the game started. Dauri Fernandez led off the game with a double, stole third, then scored on a ground out. The Howlers went up 2-0 before Gavin Fien hit a solo homer, his 8th of the season to cut the deficit in half. Before the offense could do any more damage, the Howlers put up their biggest offensive inning of the game in the top of the 5th, plating four, highlighted by a Luis De La Cruz three run shot that made it 6-2.
The FredNats fought back in the later innings. Luke Dickerson hit a solo homer in the bottom of the 5th to make it 6-3. Fredericksburg scored two in the bottom of the 6th on a Elian Soto RBI single and Jamison Jones sacrifice fly that made it 7-4. Coy James hit a solo home run to lead off the bottom of the 7th to try and spark a final rally, but the game ended with the tying runner at the plate. Hill City won game one 7-5.
Game two was a similar start. As the bats brought the minimum up in the first three innings, the Howlers took the early lead. In the top of the 2nd, an error against the leadoff man led to an unearned run that put Hill City up 1-0. The Howlers doubled their lead as Jose Pirela hit a double play ball that only got one out and allowed Dauri Fernandez to score and make it 2-0.
In the bottom of the 5th, the FredNats finally got on the board, Dashyll Tejeda got to second on a hustle double, advanced to third on a Jordan Williams single, then scored on a pop up that fell in shallow left field. In the next frame, the Howlers hit a two run home run to extend the lead to 4-1.
With the losses, the FredNats drop a series for the first time in 98 games. They’ll look to salvage the weekend tomorrow as RHP Marlon De La Cruz gets the start against RHP Erigaldi Perez. First pitch from Virginia Credit Union stadium is set for 1:35 PM.