Fredericksburg Explodes Offensively, Score 18 Runs Behind an Eight Run First

SALEM, VA – Seven Nationals have multi-hit games and overpower the Red Sox on Saturday night. Following a 57-minute rain delay, the Red Sox fell (41-30) in game five of the series to the Fredericksburg Nationals (23-48).

The Nationals’ bats got hot early and often on Saturday night as Chih-Jung Lui promptly got into trouble in the top of the first. With runners on second and third and one run already plated from a wild pitch, Kevin Strohschien dunked a flare single into center field to score two runs. The Nationals moved down the line with Jake Randa and Geraldi Diaz contributing with RBIs of their own to give the Nationals a five-run advantage. The nail in the coffin in the first came when Jose Sanchez roped a three-run double to left field giving the Fredericksburg an 8-0 lead.

Salem would bring life to the stadium in the next couple of innings and provide hope to the Saturday night crowd. Antoni Flores smacked a sacrifice fly to right field scoring Alex Erro to put the Sox on the board. In the next inning Gilberto Jimenez doubled home a run and Alex Erro drove in another to cut the deficit to five.

The momentum would quickly be relinquished by the Nationals in the fourth. Ricordo Mendez drove in the Nationals ninth run of the game on an RBI single to right field. As the very next batter Junior Martina chipped in with his ninth double of the season to put Fredericksburg in double digits. The Nationals added two more on a Jake Randa single to center pushing their lead to nine.

After a four run fourth, the FredNats replicated it in the fifth behind a two RBI triple from Jose Sanchez and an RBI single from Ricardo Mendez. Off of a wild pitch and Junior Martina’s 10th double of the season, Fredericksburg would grab their 16th and 17th runs.

To impact the final tally, Antoni Flores drove in a run for the Red Sox and Ceddanne Rafaela lifted his third home run over the left field wall to make the score 17-6. On a Geraldi Diaz RBI single to right field the Fredericksburg Nationals would add one more but stop the Red Sox pain there.

Salem surrendured 23 hits to the Nationals tying the record for the most hits allowed since Boston became affiliated in Salem. The Red Sox and Nationals will finish off the series Sunday afternoon at 4:05 PM.

First pitch: 7:02 PM

Time of game: 3:22 (:57 delay)

Attendance: 3,765

Venue: Salem Memorial Ballpark