FredNats Fall in Longest Game of the Year, 13-11 to Fayetteville

Fayetteville, N.C. - The Fredericksburg Nationals fell in the longest game off the season 13-11 to the Fayetteville Woodpeckers. The game took three hours and fourty nine minutes. The FredNats had to use six pitchers, and a position player on the mound.

After last nights wire to wire loss, the FredNats jumped in front right away. In the top of the 1st, Coy James and Cristhian Vaquero singled, then executed a double steal to both get in scoring position. Juan Cruz came to the plate and rocketed a single into centerfield to bring both runners home and put the Nationals up 2-0.

Southpaw Juan Reyes made his first Single-A start and worked out of trouble, allowing multiple base runners in the 1st and 2nd. The same couldn’t be said in the 3rd, as Ben Tryon and Carlos Cauro hit back to back RBI singles to tie the game 2-2. In the 4th, the Woodpeckers stayed hot offensively as the Astros 1st round pick Logan Hughes hit a two RBI double to put his team in front 4-2. Houston’s top prospect Kevin Alvarez then brought across Hughes with an RBI single to make it 5-2.

From the 2nd inning until the 6th, the FredNats put just two men on base. The offense finally got going, as Ryan Forcucci walked the first three batters off the inning. The Nationals then tied the game, with just one hit, and without the ball leaving the infield. Cristhian Vaquero then slapped a ball into right field for a two RBI single that capped off the six run inning and make it 8-6. The Woodpeckers scored four in the bottom half of the 6th to go in front 10-8.

In the top of the 8th, after two quick outs, the FredNats rallied. Cristhian Vaquero hit an RBI single to make it a one run game, then with the bases loaded, Juan Cruz was hit by a pitch to tie the game. Fayetteville responded with three runs in the bottom of the 8th to go up 13-10. The FredNats got a run in, and loaded the bases in the top of the 9th, but weren’t able to bring the tying run across with a position player on the mound.

With the loss, the FredNats drop their fourth game in a row. It ties the longest losing streak of the year and its the first time all season that Fredericksburg has lost the first four games of a series. They’ll look to get back on track tomorrow with RHP RJ Sales starting against RHP Adrian Ardines. First pitch from Segra Stadium is set for 7:05 PM.