CarL1 Potomac Nationals

Atilano, offense spark game-one win

Published on July 17, 2008 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Potomac Nationals News Release


WOODBRIDGE, Va.- The Potomac Nationals were not quite ready to relinquish their hold on the Carolina League Northern Division Thursday at Pfitzner Stadium. With a 6-2 victory over the Lynchburg Hillcats, Potomac remained in first place and extended their division lead to 1 1/2 games.

P-Nats starter Luis Atilano won his second consecutive decision in his fourth start for the Nationals. The Puerto Rican-native set the table for the night tossing five innings while allowing one run on six hits. Even without sending the Hillcats down in order in any inning, Atilano (2-0) maneuvered his way through the lineup with five strikeouts.

Meanwhile, the offense, fresh off of a seven-run output on Tuesday continued to produce. Dan Lyons extended his hitting streak to five games with an RBI double in the top of the third, which tied the game 1-1. Later in the inning, Boomer Whiting gave his team the lead with a bunt single on an exciting suicide squeeze play that scored Lyons for the go-ahead run.

Potomac would not yield the lead again in a game that was never in doubt. Francisco Plasencia extended the advantage to 3-1 when he led off the top of the fourth with a solo home run to right-center field off of Michael Crotta (7-7). The big fly was the fifth of the season for Plasencia.

With the score 3-2, Trevor Lawhorn and Michael Martinez supplied some insurance late in the contest. Lawhorn launched his third homer of the year and Martinez; four batters later smoked a triple to the right-center field gap that plated two more runs. At the point the Nationals were comfortably ahead 6-2.

Clint Everts pitched 2 2/3 innings of relief while giving up just one run on three hits. Everts gave way to Jack Spradlin with two outs in the top of the eighth inning. Spradlin struck out Kris Watts with the tying run on first base and retired all four hitters he faced.

Game two of the three-game series with the Hillcats is tomorrow night at Pfitzner Stadium. Potomac will send Zack Segovia (1-1, 1.69) to the mound against Brad Lincoln (0-0, 0.00) for Lynchburg. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

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Carolina League Stories from July 17, 2008


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