Wilmington Battles Back Against Potomac

Woodbridge, VA- In the first game of the doubleheader that never was, the Wilmington Blue Rocks (33-40) overcame an early four-run deficit with 11 combined runs in four innings to beat the Potomac Nationals (38-32) by a score of 11-5 Sunday afternoon. The Blue Rocks offense worked like a well-oiled machine, with 11 runs in as many hits. Khalil Lee, Gabriel Cancel, and Meibrys Viloria all had multiple RBI to deliver the win. 

The Potomac Nationals earned a comfortable lead in the bottom of the first. Aldrem Corredor doubled on a line-drive to center to clear the bases and put the Nats on top 3-0. Nick Banks added to the total with an RBI single to left to extend the lead to 4-0. The Blue Rocks trimmed the lead down to 4-1 with a solo home run by Cancel in the top of the second.
The floodgates opened for the Rocks in the top of the third. Lee started the scoring with an RBI single that brought Blake Perkins home to score to make it a 4-2 ballgame. After a Cancel single and a walk by Travis Jones , Viloria hammered a pitch deep to right for a grand slam to give the Rocks the 6-4 lead. Wilmington added plenty of insurance in the top of the fourth. With the bases loaded, Lee doubled to right to bring Perkins and Vance Vizcaino home, extending the lead to 8-4. Cancel smacked two-run single to put the game out of reach, 10-4.
Potomac attempted to cut into the lead in the bottom of the fourth. Bryan Mejia legged out an infield single to bring David Masters around to score and bring the deficit to 10-5. The Blue Rocks tacked on one more insurance run in the top of the fifth. With runners on first and second D.J. Burt added an RBI single, giving the game its final score of 11-5.
The second game of the doubleheader was postponed due to rain and will be made up as part of a doubleheader in Wilmington at a date to be determined as Wilmington does not visit Potomac again during the regular season.
The Blue Rocks return to Frawley Stadium on Monday, June 25 to begin a nine-game homestand when they welcome in the Lynchburg Hillcats for a five-game series. Righty Arnaldo Hernandez (6-4, 3.92 ERA) will make the start for the Blue Rocks. Fans can listen to the game as Matt Janus and Cory Nidoh will have the call on 89.7 WGLS-FM.
PEBBLES OF KNOWLEDGE
Meibrys Viloria hit his third home run of the season in big fashion on Sunday afternoon. With his grand slam in the top of the third, Viloria becomes the third Blue Rock to hit a grand slam this season. All of Wilmington's grand slams have been hit on the road. Chase Vallot hit one in Frederick on April 19 and Gabriel Cancel smacked one against the Down East Wood Ducks on June 12. The Rocks only had two grand slams in 2017, both by Vallot. The last time Wilmington had three grand slams in a season was in 2016.
Gabriel Cancel has been a powerhouse as a cleanup hitter for Wilmington. In his 13th game batting fourth in the lineup, Cancel went 3-for-4 with three RBI and a solo home run. He is hitting .395 (17 for 43) with five doubles, two home runs and 15 RBI while batting cleanup this season.
The Blue Rocks started the second half of the season in a positive manner taking two of three from Potomac in the rain-shortened series with the final game of the series to be made up later in the season at Wilmington. The Rocks travel back to the First State for the first time in the second half and will being a nine-game homestand at Frawley Stadium starting Monday. It marks the longest homestand of the season for the Blue Rocks as they welcome in the Lynchburg Hillcats for five games before welcoming in the Winston-Salem Dash for the final four games of the homestand.