Late Three-Run Home Run Pushes Fredericksburg Past Salem in Series Finale

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CarL Salem Red Sox

Late Three-Run Home Run Pushes Fredericksburg Past Salem in Series Finale

June 22, 2025 - Carolina League (CarL)
Salem Red Sox News Release


SALEM, Va. - The Salem Red Sox (27 ‚¬â€˜40, 1 ‚¬â€˜2) dropped the series finale to the Fredericksburg Nationals (31 ‚¬â€˜36, 2 ‚¬â€˜1), 6-3, on Sunday afternoon at Carilion Clinic Field at Salem Memorial Ballpark.

The loss forced a six-game series split and extended Salem's winless series streak to seven straight.

For the third time this week, Fredericksburg struck early. A leadoff walk and stolen base by Francesco Barbieri set the table before Nick Peoples also walked. With two on, Nate Ochoa delivered a two-RBI single to give the FredNats a 2-0 lead in the top of the first.

The Sox answered in the home half. Justin Gonzales jumped on the first pitch of the inning and smoked it off the right-field wall for a stand-up triple. Frederik Jimenez followed with a sac fly to bring Gonzales home and cut the deficit to 2-1.

With two outs in the bottom of the second, Enddy Azocar stepped in against Angel Roman and crushed a first-pitch slider over the left-center field wall to tie the game, 2-2. The blast was Azocar's second home run of the season, both coming off left-handers.

The deadlock didn't last long.

In the top of the fourth, Yoander Rivero snuck a two-out solo shot just inside the left-field foul pole to restore the Fredericksburg lead at 3-2. It was only the FredNats' 26th home run of the season-second-fewest in the Carolina League-and just their fourth in the month of June, the lowest total in all of Minor League Baseball.

Steven Brooks got the start for Salem, going four innings while allowing three earned runs on three hits with four strikeouts in a losing decision. He turned the ball over to Griffin Kilander, who was dominant in relief. Kilander retired the first nine batters he faced and finished with 3.2 scoreless innings, allowing no hits and striking out a career-high seven.

In the eighth, Fredericksburg landed the knockout blow. Randal Diaz reached on a throwing error by Fraymi De Leon, and Kevin Bazzell drew a two-out walk to bring up Ochoa. Already with two RBIs on the day, Ochoa launched a three-run home run over the left-center field wall-his second homer of the year, both against Salem-to extend the lead to 6-2.

The Sox managed one more run in the bottom half. Gonzales doubled with one out, advanced to third on a wild pitch, and scored on a Yoeilin Cespedes sac fly to make it 6-3.

Robert Cranz came on in the ninth and retired the Sox in order to earn his Carolina League-leading eighth save of the year.

Despite out-hitting Fredericksburg 6-4, Salem dropped its fifth consecutive Sunday game. The Sox are now 4-8 on Sundays, second worst in the Carolina League, with 11 of those 12 games decided by three runs or fewer.

Salem will remain home for its first extended homestand of the season when the Hickory Crawdads, the Single-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers, visit Carilion Clinic Field for the first time. First pitch is set for 6:35 p.m. Tuesday night.

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