FredNats Swept as Carolina Claws back to Win in 10
CarL Fredericksburg Nationals

FredNats Swept as Carolina Claws back to Win in 10

April 6, 2025 - Carolina League (CarL)
Fredericksburg Nationals News Release


ZEBULON, NC - The Fredericksburg Nationals (0-3) fell once again to the Carolina Mudcats (3-0) on a 10th-inning walk-off single to secure a season-opening sweep for Carolina at Five County Stadium.

For the first time in the series, the FredNats scored the game's first run to take an early lead. Against Carolina's starter Travis Smith in the first inning, right fielder Elijah Nunez smacked a single and, a batter later, catcher Nate Rombach walloped a double off of the wall in right-center field to score him and make it 1-0 Fredericksburg.

The FredNat bats added two more runs in the second inning off of Smith with an RBI double from third baseman Jackson Ross in his first professional at-bat after being taken by the Nationals in the ninth round last year. With Ross at second, center fielder Cristhian Vaquero beat out a groundball to shortstop, forcing a throwing error that allowed Ross to race around third and give the Nats a 3-0 lead.

Fredericksburg's starter Yoel Tejeda Jr. got into a groove at the end of the first inning and with two outs in the third he had retired seven Mudcats in a row. He got ahead of speedy shortstop Luis Peña 1-2 but lost him on a walk. Peña stole second, barely escaping the tag of Randal Diaz, before second baseman Josh Adamczewski cranked a two-run home run down the right field line, bringing the Mudcats within a run, 3-2.

Tejeda was lifted by Billy McMillon after 3.0 IP with three walks to four strikeouts in favor of left-handed reliever Merritt Beeker. Beeker's first pitch in the bottom of the fourth was smoked over the tall left field wall by Filippo Di Turi to tie the game 3-3.

The FredNats grabbed the lead back instantly in the fifth when Rombach doubled and DH Jorgelys Mota smoked a double of his own on a ricochet off of the pitcher Sam Garcia who had to exit the game. It didn't last long though because Carolina scratched another run across against Beeker in the bottom of the inning. Braylon Payne walked, advanced to second on a Peña double and scored on an RBI fielder's choice by Eric Bitonti, ending Beeker's outing in a 4-4 tie through five.

Carolina's Bjorn Johnson held the FredNat offense in check and then saw his bats snag the lead in the bottom of the seventh. Gavin Bruni entered for Fredericksburg and walked the first batter he faced on four pitches, setting up a sacrifice fly for Peña to set the score at 5-4.

In the top of the eighth, the script flipped. The FredNats got the hit they had been looking for all weekend long. Ross, hitting out of the ninth spot in the order in his professional debut, launched the Nats' first home run of the season high over the left field wall to score himself and Diaz, giving the Freddies a 6-5 advantage. It was Ross' third hit and RBIs of the afternoon and his first career home run as he finished a triple shy of the cycle a day after his 25th birthday.

Robert Cranz couldn't hold the lead though, as the righty reliever allowed a run in the bottom of the inning because of a leadoff walk to tie it right back up 6-6. Cranz walked the leadoff batter and two more in the ninth inning as well but struck out two straight to strand the bases loaded and send the game to extra innings.

With Roismar Quintana as the automatic runner at second base, Mota lifted a high fly ball to lead off the 10th that got carried by the airstream out of the ballpark to right field to put the Nats up 8-6. The pitching staff's problems popped back up in the bottom half of the inning, however, as Ryan Minckler walked the first three batters before giving up a walk-off single to Adamczewski who wore the cape in a 9-8 Mudcat win. In total, FredNat pitching walked 13 hitters including five to lead off innings. For the weekend, the walk total was a whopping 27.

Despite allowing the Mota home run, Josh Timmerman (1-0) got the win, handing Minckler the loss.

The FredNats have a day off Monday before their home opener on Tuesday against the Salem Red Sox with a 6:35 start.

Check out the Fredericksburg Nationals Statistics



Carolina League Stories from April 6, 2025


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