Early Deficit Too Steep for P-Nats in Loss to Down East

Kinston, NC-The Potomac Nationals (17-28) dropped their second game in three days by a wide margin, falling to the Down East Wood Ducks (32-15) by a score of 12-4 on Wednesday afternoon. Despite a solid effort from the bullpen, the P-Nats couldn't overcome an early offensive assault from the Wood Ducks.
RHP Jason Bahr (W, 3-1) exacted his revenge on Potomac after losing his first game of the year in Woodbridge last week, allowing only one run on three hits in 5.1 innings to earn the win for the Wood Ducks. LHP Grant Borne (L, 1-3) allowed three runs in the first, and never established a rhythm as he lasted only 3.0 innings in the loss.

The Wood Ducks, who scored seven first-inning runs in Monday night's series opener, jumped ahead early again on Wednesday. LF Yonny Hernandez was hit by a pitch on a bunt attempt to start the frame, and SS Anderson Tejeda followed with a double. 3B Ryan Dorow put Down East on the board with a sacrifice fly, and 2B Diosbel Arias backed it up with an RBI double. DH Sam Huff stayed hot at the plate with an RBI single to put the Wood Ducks up 3-0.
 
DH Aldrem Corredor struck out with the bases loaded to end a potential Potomac rally in the third, and Down East responded in the bottom half of the inning to put the game out of reach. Dorow, who had hit three homers in the first two games of the series, launched a solo shot to begin the inning. 1B Yohel Pozo doubled in a pair, CF Julio Pablo Martinez drove in a run on a three-base error from 2B Cole Freeman, and Hernandez capped the frame with an RBI single.
 
Borne was lifted for LHP Hayden Howard in the fourth, and the lefty allowed two bases-loaded walks and a Tejeda RBI single to extend Down East's lead to 12-0. Howard would settle down after that, retiring eight of the final nine batters he faced to give his team valuable length.
 
Potomac finally got to Bahr in the sixth, loading the bases with one out before he departed the game. RHP Alex Eubanks (S, 2) let in the first P-Nats run on a fielder's choice from C Jakson Reetz, but limited further damage.
 
An unearned run crossed the plate for Potomac in the eighth after a Pozo error at first base and another run-scoring out from Reetz. RHP Jhon Romero pitched 2.0 scoreless innings for the P-Nats to end the pitching line, and Corredor laced a two-run single down to his team's final out to account for the final runs.
 
The P-Nats wrap up their four-game series on Thursday in search of a split as LHP Nick Raquet faces off against LHP Francisco Villegas in the finale. The Potomac broadcast will get underway at 6:45 pm with the P-Nats Leadoff Show, with a scheduled first pitch of 7:00 from Grainger Stadium in Kinston. You can listen to the Potomac broadcast at potomacnationals.com or on the TuneIn Radio App.
           
The Potomac Nationals of the Carolina League play at Northwest Federal Field at Pfitzner Stadium in Woodbridge, Virginia, and are the Carolina League affiliate of the Washington Nationals. The Potomac Nationals have claimed five Carolina League Championship titles (1982, 1989, 2008, 2010, and 2014) and 10 CL Northern Division Championships. Sponsorship opportunities for the P-Nats' 2019 season and beyond are available, as well as all-inclusive corporate picnic outings to watch the future stars of the Washington Nationals at The Pfitz. 2019 Potomac Nationals season tickets and mini plans are now on sale. For more information on Potomac Nationals 2019 season tickets, mini plans, group outings, picnic packages, fundraisers, and all things Red, White, and Blue, visit the P-Nats online at www.potomacnationals.com, follow the P-Nats on Facebook (@PotomacNationals), Twitter (@PNats42), and Instagram (@pnats42), or call the Potomac Nationals' Extreme Custom Collision Ticket Office at 703-590-2311.