
FredNats Walk It off in Wild 12-11 Win
July 2, 2021 - Carolina League (CarL)
Fredericksburg Nationals News Release
FREDERICKSBURG, VA - In front of a record sellout crowd of 4704 raucous fans, the Fredericksburg Nationals defeated the Salem Red Sox 12-11 in walk-off fashion on Friday night.
The FredNats twice blew significant leads, including a five-run lead in the ninth, before Jeremy Ydens took advantage of a pair of Salem errors in the bottom of the ninth to score the winning run.
Salem jumped ahead 1-0 in the first against Michael Cuevas, starting the game with a pair of singles and cashing in with a Jaxx Groshans two-out RBI infield hit. Ydens robbed Stephen Scott of an extra-base hit with a leaping catch in right field to limit further damage. Cuevas went 4.1 innings, allowing four earned runs on a career-high nine hits.
Ryan Zeferjahn worked a scoreless bottom of the first, but couldn't escape the second as the FredNats exploded for five runs. José Sánchez laced a two-run double to left-center, and Viandel Peña followed with a long three-run homer into the manual scoreboard area. It was the first of two homers on the night for Peña, marking the first multi-homer game of his career.
The Red Sox chipped away at the 5-1 deficit, scoring two runs in the fourth on a Nicholas Northcut double and a Jecorrah Arnold single. They came all the way back in the fifth, as Cuevas balked home a run and Joe Davis collected an RBI single.
Some small ball helped the FredNats reclaim the lead in the sixth, as Jake Boone faced Salem reliever Devon Roedahl with the bases loaded and one out. The first two offerings of the at-bat were wild pitches, allowing two runs to score, and Boone lifted a sacrifice fly to the warning track to empty the bases and put Fredericksburg in front 8-5.
Ricardo Méndez hit his first FredNats homer in the seventh, stretching the lead out even further, and Junior Martina doubled to right-center to make the score 10-5. A passed ball got a run back for the Red Sox in the top of the eighth, but Peña's second homer of the game in the bottom half of the inning gave the FredNats an 11-6 lead heading to the ninth.
Edward Ureña came on for his Fredericksburg debut, but allowed a leadoff solo homer to Nick Yorke for the second baseman's fourth hit of the game. An RBI triple from Gilberto Jiménez brought home another run and, though Ureña struck out the next two batters, a walk to Stephen Scott forced a pitching change. Leif Strom fared little better, allowing a two-run single to Northcut and a game-tying single to Luke Bandy to complete a five-run comeback for the Red Sox. Tyler Yankosky (W, 1-0) entered to face Yorke with the go-ahead run at second, and coaxed a groundout to send the game to the bottom of the ninth.
Alexander Montero (L, 0-1) didn't allow a hit in the ninth, but the Salem defense failed twice to allow the FredNats to escape with a victory. Ydens led off the inning with a pop-up behind second base, and shortstop Matthew Lugo collided with Yorke to put him in scoring position. Onix Vega bunted Ydens over to third, and Martina lifted a shallow fly to right field that would not have been deep enough to score the winning run. Ydens, however, bluffed a tag and drew an errant throw from Bandy, scampering home when the toss sailed near the on-deck circle.
The FredNats continue their series against the Red Sox on Saturday night. First pitch from FredNats Ballpark is scheduled for 6:05, with FredNats On Deck beginning at 5:50 on the FredNats Baseball Network.
The Fredericksburg Nationals are a minor league affiliate of the Washington Nationals in the Low-A East League. They are playing their inaugural 2021 season at the brand new, state-of-the-art FredNats Ballpark located at 42 Jackie Robinson Way next to the Fredericksburg Expo & Convention Center in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Stay up to date with the team online at www.frednats.com and follow the Fredericksburg Nationals on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @FXBGNats.
Carolina League Stories from July 2, 2021
- Heavyweight Fight Goes to GreenJackets - Augusta GreenJackets
- Six-Run Rally Surges Woodpeckers to Fifth Straight Win - Fayetteville Woodpeckers
- Howard Collects Four Hits, Pelicans Roll to 7-2 Win over Wood Ducks - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- FredNats Walk It off in Wild 12-11 Win - Fredericksburg Nationals
- Weaver's Four RBIs Not Enough in Loss to RiverDogs Friday - Kannapolis Cannon Ballers
- Late Rally Falls Short as Mudcats Lose Seventh Straight - Carolina Mudcats
- RiverDogs Extend Winning Streak to Seven with 11-5 Triumph in Kannapolis - Charleston RiverDogs
- Negret's Two Blast Night Not Enough to Beat Augusta - Columbia Fireflies
- Untimely Walks Contribute to Wood Ducks Loss Again - Down East Wood Ducks
- 'Birds Win Eighth Straight, Claim Series from 'Cats - Delmarva Shorebirds
- Edward Ureña Joins FredNats - Fredericksburg Nationals
- Bradley Named Low-A East Pitcher of the Month - Charleston RiverDogs
- Columbia Fireflies Game Notes 7-2 at Augusta - Columbia Fireflies
- Felix Valerio Named Low-A East Player of the Month - Carolina Mudcats
- Playoffs Announced for 2021 Minor League Baseball Season - Down East Wood Ducks
- Down East Wood Ducks Game Notes - at Myrtle Beach - Down East Wood Ducks
- Jerson Ramirez Earns Promotion to Lake County - Lynchburg Hillcats
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
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