Natanael Yuten’s Walk-Off Hit in Extra Lifts Salem to 3-2 Win Over Fredericksburg

SALEM, Va. — Natanael Yuten delivered a walk-off single in the 10th inning to lift the Salem Red Sox to a 3-2 extra innings win over the Fredericksburg Nationals on Friday night at Carilion Clinic Field.

Yuten’s first-pitch rocket off the right-field wall scored Yosander Asencio from second base and capped a thrilling comeback win for the Sox (11-14), who have now won three straight games — matching their longest winning streak of the season. The win also clinched at least a series split against Fredericksburg (13-12).

It was Salem’s first walk-off victory of the 2025 campaign and just the second time this season the Sox have won after allowing the first run of the game.

The night began as a pitchers' duel between Fredericksburg’s Yoel Tejeda Jr. and Salem’s Austin Ehrlicher, who was making his first professional start. Each starter allowed only one run before handing the game to the bullpen.

Ehrlicher, exited after three innings and just 41 pitches, striking out two and allowing one run on two hits, taking a no decision.

Fredericksburg struck first in the opening frame. After Cristhian Vaquero led off with a walk, Jackson Ross brought him home with a sacrifice fly to left, giving the Nationals an early 1-0 lead.

Salem answered in the bottom of the second. After Karim Ayubi roped a double into the gap, Yoeilin Cespedes delivered a sacrifice fly of his own to even the score at 1-1.

The game remained tied for the next five innings, thanks in large part to a dominant relief performance by Adam Bates. The 19-year-old right-hander from Sydney, Australia, turned in his best outing of the season, tossing five shutout innings. He allowed just two hits and struck out a career-high seven batters.

With the score still knotted at 1-1 heading to the ninth, Salem manager Ozzie Chavez turned to left-hander Michael Sansone. On just the third pitch of the inning, Ross launched a solo homer that cleared the left-field wall, giving the Nationals a 2-1 lead.

Sansone quickly recovered, retiring three of the next four batters, including a strikeout of Nick Peoples to end the frame.

In the bottom of the ninth, Salem had one last chance to rally — and they made it count.

Andruw Musett popped out in foul territory to start the inning, but Freili Encarnacion stepped up next and didn’t miss his pitch. After swinging through the first offering, Encarnacion crushed a game-tying solo home run deep into the left-field sky for his team leading fourth of the season and tying the game at 2-2.

The homer electrified the home crowd and sent the game to extras.

Sansone returned to the mound in the 10th and worked around the automatic runner, retiring the side in order to keep the game tied. He finished with two innings of one-run ball and earned the win.

That set the stage for the bottom of the 10th. With Asencio placed on second as the automatic runner, Yuten stepped in to the left handed batter’s box to lead off the inning. On the first pitch he saw from Fredericksburg reliever Merrick Baldo, Yuten smashed a line drive off the right-field wall, scoring Asencio from second and sparking a celebratory mob on the field.

The victory marks a turning point for Salem, which had lost four of five before its current three-game winning streak. The Red Sox will go for their fourth straight win on Saturday night when right-hander Griffin Kilander makes his fourth start of the season. He will be opposed by Fredericksburg’s Angel Roman.

First pitch is set for 6:35 p.m. ET on Metallica Night at the ballpark. The first 750 fans through the gates will take home a special Metallica themed T-Shirt.