Balanced Carolina Attack Eclipses Nationals 7-1
Zebulon, NC-The Potomac Nationals (8-10, 4-4) did not score their first run of the series until the 6th stanza and the Carolina Mudcats (8-10, 6-6) used 14 hits to down the P-Nats at Five County Stadium on Tuesday evening. The P-Nats underwent a 14-inning scoring drought going back to the 3-0 blanking in Game One of the series on Monday night.
Nationals RHP A.J. Cole (0-1) faced adversity from the get-go in the 1st inning allowing four consecutive base hits to CF Tyler Naquin, a double up the left field line, SS Francisco Lindor, a bunt single up the third base line, 1B Jerrud Sabourin, an RBI single to the opposite field in left, and RF Jordan Smith, a bloop single into left field. Naquin and Lindor scored on the Sabourin knock and a wild pitch from Cole respectively.
Carolina RHP Jacob Lee was very effective tossing 4.0 scoreless frames and allowing one hit and four walks with two strikeouts, but he did not motor through the requisite five innings to qualify for the victory so he did not receive a decision.
The Mudcats tacked on another run in the 3rd inning, which was unearned to Cole, as DH Bryson Myles smoked a line drive to RF Caleb Ramsey which hit off the tip of his glove and went to the right field wall allowing LF Anthony Gallas to be plated. Gallas reached on a long double to dead center field with one out in the frame.
The lone run of the game for Potomac came in the 6th inning on an RBI double to the alleyway in left center field off the bat of C Adrian Nieto, his sixth double and sixth RBI of the 2013 campaign.
The Mudcats bats exploded for four runs in the home half of the 6th stanza as the club brought eight men to the plate against RHP Greg Holt, a product of nearby the University of North Carolina, and LHP Christian Meza. After back-to-back singles off Holt by C Charlie Valerio and Myles, 3B Justin Toole laid down a sacrifice bunt to put both runners into scoring position. Against Meza, 2B Zach MacPhee, in his second game with Carolina, blooped an RBI single into right field scoring Valerio. Myles was summoned home along with MacPhee on a Tyler Naquin two-run double blasted to the gap in left center field. Naquin finished the contest 3-for-5 with two runs scored and two RBIs.
P-Nats RHP Colin Bates, a teammates of Holt at UNC, spun 2.0 scoreless frames with one hit and two strikeouts.
The Mudcats would hold their 7-1 lead due to 3.0 scoreless innings by the eventual winning pitcher, LHP J.D. Reichenbach (1-1), a product of Elon University (NC), who gave up just two hits with one walk and one strikeout for his pitching line.
Game Three will summon Potomac RHP Blake Schwartz (0-0, 0.00), recently promoted from Class-A Hagerstown making his P-Nats debut pitted against LHP Shawn Morimando (1-1, 1.29).
The Potomac Nationals of the Carolina League play at Pfitzner Stadium in Woodbridge, Virginia, and are the Class-A Advanced affiliate of the Washington Nationals. P-Nats 2013 season tickets and mini plans are on sale now. Sponsorship opportunities for the '13 season are now available. Plan your corporate outing now in preparation for the summer months as the P-Nats offer discounted group rates and all-inclusive picnic options. Visit the P-Nats online at www.potomacnationals.com or call the ticket office at 703-590-2311 for more!
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