Salem Befuddled by Frederick 4-0 Wednesday

FREDERICK, MD (Wednesday, August 15) - The Salem Red Sox never got their offense cooking Wednesday night, getting only two hits and three walks in a 4-0 loss to the Frederick Keys at Harry Grove Stadium.
The Sox (24-27, 56-63) only made it to second base once in the game, and fell short of a third consecutive win. Frederick (22-29, 57-63) stayed in control all game long, with starting pitcher Zac Lowther (4-2) tossing seven innings of two-hit ball before reliever Tyler Erwin (S, 15) shut the Sox down over the last two innings.

Neither team broke through until the bottom of the fifth inning, when Frederick finally got to Salem starter Kevin McAvoy (L, 1-3). With one out, Jake Ring cracked a single, and stole second to reach scoring position before moving up to third on a double off the wall by Preston Palmeiro. Craig Gentry lofted a sacrifice fly to right field, scoring Ring and putting the Keys up 1-0.
The Keys kept extending their lead in the ensuing innings. With two outs in the bottom of the sixth, T.J. Nichting belted a solo homer off McAvoy to make it a 2-0 game. Reliever Austin Glorius fared little better in the bottom of the seventh, as he surrendered a leadoff dinger to Daniel Fajardo to run the lead to 3-0.
Frederick added a final tally in the bottom of the eighth against Salem reliever Durbin Feltman, who gave up a one-out single to Randolph Gassaway. Jomar Reyes hit a bouncer to short that C.J. Chatham fielded, but his throw to first was both too late to get Reyes and wild. As the ball skittered away from Jerry Downs, Gassaway moved up to third. Nichting hit a chopper through the infield on the right side for an RBI single, scoring Gassaway and giving the Keys their final 4-0 lead.
McAvoy allowed two runs on five hits and three walks over six innings, striking out three in the hard-luck loss. Glorius only gave up a solo homer in his lone inning of relief, striking out one. Feltman surrendered a run on three hits and struck out one in his sole inning of work.
The Sox will look for a win in the rubber match of the series Thursday night, with righty Denyi Reyes starting for Salem against Frederick right-hander Cristian Alvarado. First pitch from Harry Grove Stadium is scheduled for 7:00 p.m., and the pregame show with Ben Gellman and Suzie Cool begins at 6:45 p.m. on the Red Sox broadcast network.