Huntzinger Dominates Nats Again in 8-0 Win

Woodbridge, VA (May 28, 2010)- Ryan Lavarnway delivered two home runs and Oscar Tejeda added a two-run shot of his own to back up Brock Huntzinger's six scoreless innings, as the Salem Red Sox shut out the Potomac Nationals 8-0 on Friday night at Pfitzner Stadium. The win was Salem's third consecutive triumph overall and second shut out in the last three contests against the Nats.

Huntzinger (5-2) continued his dominance of the Nationals, allowing just four hits, all singles, while striking out four and not walking anyone. The right-hander finishes the month of May with a 5-0 record and 1.59 ERA. The six shutout innings mirrored his start against Potomac last Saturday and extended his scoreless streak to 14.1 innings. On the season, Huntzinger has only allowed one run in 16.2 innings against the Nationals.

Potomac starter Brad Peacock shut down the Sox for the first three innings, retiring all nine batters he faced, with six of them falling via the strikeout. However, Peter Hissey led off the fourth with a bunt single and Tejeda delivered his seventh round tripper of the year to put the Sox up 2-0.

After striking out Hissey to start the sixth, Peacock (1-6) was lifted for reliever Zach Dials. Dials then allowed a double to Oscar Tejeda, walked Will Middlebrooks and served up a three-run home run to Lavarnway that blew the game open at 5-0. The right-hander was one the mound again in the eighth inning when Lavarnway crushed his second blast of the night, this time to right-center field to make it 6-0. It was the second-multi-homer game of the season for Lavarnway, who now has ten dingers on the year.

After forcing a groundout, Dials was replaced by Cory VanAllen. The southpaw didn't fare much better, giving up four consecutive base hits to the bottom half of the Salem order. Ryan Dent provided the lone RBI in the streak, with a double to the right-center field gap. Mitch Dening scampered home on a passed ball prior to Dent's single.

Kyle Fernandes and Zach Hammes finished off Huntzinger's brilliance with three solid innings of relief, allowing just one hit while striking out four. The Sox backed up their pitchers with 14 hits, with every batter recording at least one on the night. Lavarnway finished 2-for-5 with two homers and four RBI, increasing his Carolina League-leading RBI total to 40 on the season. Tejeda and Mitch Dening added three hits apiece, with Dening extended his hitting streak to nine games.

With the combination of Salem's victory and Winston-Salem's 8-5 loss to Kinston, the Sox closed to within three games of the division-leading Dash.

The Sox and Nationals continue their three-game series Saturday at 6:35 from Pfitzner Stadium. Fabian Williamson gets the call for Salem against Potomac's Robinson Fabian.