P-Nats Sweep DH over Dash with Rout & Walk-Off
Woodbridge, VA---In their league-high ninth doubleheader, the Potomac Nationals (53-43, 19-9) picked up a sweep of the Winston-Salem Dash (40-59, 12-17) and ran their win streak to four games. 1B Ryan Zimmerman hit a three-run home run in the first inning of game one for Potomac in route to a 6-2 win, while 1B Jose Marmolejos hit a walk-off single in the seventh inning of game two in a 3-2 victory. With the two wins, Potomac improved to 11-6 vs. the Dash this season.
After falling behind Friday night 3-0 in the first inning, the P-Nats reversed that in game one Saturday night. Dash RHP Zach Thompson (L, 1-1) walked the first two batters in the bottom of the first inning on nine pitches, while Zimmerman launched a first pitch fastball 440 feet over the wall in left-centerfield. Potomac led 3-0 after one inning, as Zimmerman's home run proved to be the eventual game-winning hit.
Potomac plated two more runs in the third and a final run in the fourth against Thompson. C Raudy Read plated Zimmerman and Marmolejos with a two-run double in the third inning, while 3B Bryan Mejia tallied his first home run of the season to lead off the fourth. The P-Nats led 6-0 after four innings.
In a complete game effort, RHP Austen Williams (W, 1-3) allowed 11 hits but just two runs over seven innings. Nine of the Dash's 11 hits were singles, as only CF Landon Lassiter and C Zack Collins tallied a double. The two doubles came in the fifth frame, as Lassiter scored on a groundout by RF Mason Robbins, while Collins drove home Robbins with his second hit of the night. Williams had just one 1-2-3 inning, thought it was the final frame, as he capped off the night with a perfect inning, as Potomac took the first half of the doubleheader 6-2.
Game two got off to a slow start, as neither side scored in the first two frames. The Dash got the scoring started with a pair of runs vs. RHP Trey Lambert (ND) in the third. Lambert, making his first start of the season and sixth appearance overall, walked 3B Ryan Leonards to start the inning and then gave up a single to SS Cleuluis Rondon. With men at the corners, a wild pitch from the Potomac starter made it 1-0 Winston-Salem, while a two-out RBI single by LF Nick Basto plated the Dash's second, and final, run of the game. Lambert went 4.1 innings and allowed just two runs on three hits, as he struck out a season high five.
Down a pair against RHP Kelvis Valerio (ND), Potomac cut the deficit in half on a fourth inning leadoff home run by Marmolejos, his 11th home run of the season. RF Drew Vettleson followed with a single and then moved to third base on a double by 3B Austin Davidson. On a 3-0 pitch, C Jake Lowery plated Vettleson with a groundout to second base, but Potomac left the go-ahead run at third base. Tied entering the bottom of the fifth inning, Potomac had men at second and third base with one out, as RHP Yelmison Peralta (L, 0-1) entered for the Dash. With the infield drawn in, Marmolejos hit a sharp ground ball to 2B Toby Thomas, who narrowly got SS Osvaldo Abreu at the plate for the second out of the inning. Leonards then robbed Vettleson of a go-ahead single on a line drive that ended the inning. The P-Nats left the go-ahead runner in scoring position in the fourth, the fifth, and the sixth frame.
Out of the Potomac bullpen, RHP Neil Holland (W, 1-0) allowed just one hit over 2.2 innings of shutout relief. The righty faced just one over the minimum as a perfect seventh inning gave Potomac the walk-off chance with the game tied at two. Peralta gave up a leadoff single to LF Alec Keller in the home half of the seventh. On a 3-2 pitch to Abreu, Keller broke for second base, Abreu struck out, while the throw from C Brett Austin went into centerfield, which allowed Keller to get to third base with only one out. With the winning run at third base, DH Max Schrock swung at the first pitch and hit a massive popup no more than five feet from the plate, but Leonards whiffed on the catch attempt, as Potomac had men at the corners and one out for Marmolejos. With the infield and outfield both playing in, Marmolejos roped a single into centerfield, which plated Keller, and got Potomac a doubleheader sweep with a 3-2 win.
In search of their second five-game sweep of the season, Potomac will look to LHP Matthew Spann (2-1, 3.09) Sunday night. Spann went six-shutout innings against the Salem Red Sox in his last start. Opposite Spann, LHP Tanner Banks (4-2, 6.00) is set for his eighth start of the season for the Dash. Banks has given up six earned runs in each of his last two starts, and failed to get through two innings last time out vs. Myrtle Beach. First pitch of the series finale is set for 6:05pm.
The Potomac Nationals Baseball Network will carry live coverage Thursday night beginning with the "P-Nats Leadoff Show" at 5:50pm. P-Nats Gameday Audio on the Potomac Nationals Baseball Network is available at www.potomacnationals.com or via the TuneIn Radio App.
Sunday night Is Military Appreciation Night, presented by Honor Brewing, Reality Realty, and Great American Buffet. The Pfitz will play host to military members and their families for a night honoring their service to our country. Postgame fireworks will follow Sunday's game as well, presented by WTOP.
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. The Potomac Nationals have claimed five Carolina League Championship titles (1982, 1989, 2008, 2010, and 2014) and nine CL Northern Division Championships. Potomac Nationals 2016 season tickets, mini plans, and single game tickets are now on sale. Sponsorship opportunities for the 2016 season and beyond are available. Corporate outing reservations for the 2016 season to watch the future stars of the Washington Nationals at The Pfitz may be placed now as the P-Nats offer discounted group ticket rates and all-inclusive picnics. Visit the P-Nats online at www.potomacnationals.com or call the Potomac Nationals Ticket Office at 703-590-2311 for more information!
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