Nieto Blast Propels Nationals Over Pelicans 2-1 in 10 Frames
Myrtle Beach, SC-The Potomac Nationals (32-24, 12-13) were propelled over the Myrtle Beach Pelicans (30-26, 12-12) on Monday night at TicketReturn.com Field at Pelicans Ballpark by a solo blast off the stick of C Adrian Nieto that bested the right field wall which served as the eventual game-winning shot to give the P-Nats a Game One 2-1 victory. It was Nieto's third jack of the season and came after SS Jason Martinson's contest-tying solo bomb out to left center in the 7th stanza off RHP Randol Rojas (3-1), the losing pitcher.
Rojas went the 9th and 10th innings and gave up the Nieto solo shot, struck out a trio and walked none.
Martinson's tater was his first homer since 5/10 against Winston-Salem, a walk-off shot in the 9th inning at Pfitzner Stadium.
The Nationals are now (5-3) in extra inning ballgames and (10-7) in one-run contests during the 2013 season.
The rich get richer as Potomac now owns the most wins in the Carolina League to complement the best overall win-loss ledger.
Amidst an epic pitcher's duel between Myrtle Beach RHP Jerad Eickhoff and Potomac RHP Taylor Hill both hurlers slung exactly 106 pitches and seemed to match each other pitch-for-pitch in the game but neither pitcher's stellar outing yielded a decision.
Eickhoff went 8.0 innings and allowed one earned run on the Martinson four-bagger with two outs in the 7th while scattering three base hits total, walking one, and hitting his career high in strikeouts with 11.
Meanwhile, Hill gunned deeper into the game than any other Potomac hurler has this season after tossing 8.2 innings and surrendering just an RBI sacrifice fly to SS Luis Sardinas in the 6th inning, Myrtle Beach's only run of the game. Hill allowed a total of three base hits and two walks, while striking out seven men. Hill has still yet to walk more than two batters in any one outing this season.
Nationals RHP Cameron Selik (1-1) got his first win of the season by earning the final out of the 9th frame on a strike out of 1B Trever Adams and shutting down the Pelicans flock of hitters an inning later by gunning down LF Chris Grayson on a 4-3 groundout, DH Joe Maloney on a strike out swinging, and C Patrick Cantwell pop out to shallow center field caught by Martinson on the run to ink the 2-1 sandy triumph.
In Game Two on Tuesday night, Potomac RHP Blake Schwartz (4-1, 1.51) will chuck against Myrtle Beach RHP Alec Asher (4-3, 2.86) as the P-Nats go for seven wins in a row.
First pitch at the "Sand Box" will get underway at 7:05pm.
The Potomac Nationals Baseball Network will begin streaming with the P-Nats Baseball Lead-Off Show at 6:50pm in preparation for the live play-by-play at 7:05pm. Broadcast coverage of Potomac Nationals Baseball is accessible by heading to www.potomacnationals.com.
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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