MLB Pitchers Fuel Fredericksburg's Second Shutout Win of the Season

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CarL Fredericksburg Nationals

MLB Pitchers Fuel Fredericksburg's Second Shutout Win of the Season

April 19, 2025 - Carolina League (CarL)
Fredericksburg Nationals News Release


FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. - The Fredericksburg Nationals (8-6) blanked the Fayetteville Woodpeckers (6-8) to win 2-0, their third straight win and second shutout of the 2025 season. The FredNats got key contributions on the mound from MLB rehabbing arms Cade Cavalli and Zach Brzykcy and former MLB shortstop Erick Mejia.

Cavalli got the start for Fredericksburg, his first ever appearance for the FredNats and his first official rehab outing of the year. The 2020 first-round pick out of Oklahoma didn't waste any time easing back into game action. He worked an eight-pitch first inning with the first Single-A strikeout of his career, a backwards K built on three straight curveballs to Caden Powell.

The next two innings went just as well for Washington's seventh-ranked prospect (MLB Pipeline). He danced around two walks in a scoreless second and sat down all three batters he faced in the third, adding another strikeout in each inning.

In the fourth, Cavalli's offense grabbed him a lead. Third baseman Jorgelys Mota stroked his second hit of the night and, unlike the second when he was stranded following a leadoff triple, he came around to score. Mota stole second and third base and trotted home when Jackson Ross' looping pop-up found grass in center field to make it 1-0.

Cavalli was on a four-inning plan, so he took the mound needing just three more outs to exit with a lead. The fourth started with Lucas Spence bouncing a base hit, Fayetteville's first, through the right side, but Cavalli rebounded. He fielded a comebacker for the first out and continued his excellent defensive play for the second out by covering first base to catch a feed from second baseman Yoander Rivero, going down into a splits position that would make even Simone Biles jealous.

A batter later, Elijah Nunez raced in from center field to catch a lazy fly ball, punctuating a scoreless four-inning outing for Cavalli with just one hit allowed and three strikeouts in his first outing since the 2024 season.

If Fayetteville expected that things would change once Cavalli was done, it would be disappointed. Two more major leaguers followed the starter on the mound after his exit. The first up out of the bullpen for Billy McMillon was Brzykcy, the 25-year-old righty also on an MLB rehab assignment. Brzykcy, in his second appearance of the series, fired a scoreless fifth inning, working around a hit with a strikeout of his own.

Then, Mejia took the hill - a different story. While Cavalli and Brzykcy are rehabbing, Mejia is reinventing. The former Kansas City Royals shortstop is transitioning from position player to pitcher after discovering a high-90s fastball in a throwaway game with AAA Rochester last year. Mejia came on for his fifth appearance of the season and dominated across two scoreless innings with four strikeouts. The 30-year-old right-hander now has 11 K's in 7.1 IP.

Adam Bloebaum, the first FredNat pitcher of the night without MLB experience, came on for the final two innings, grabbing a two-inning save after Fredericksburg added a ninth-inning insurance run from a Cristhian Vaquero sacrifice fly. The save is Bloebaum's first of the year.

At night's end, the four FredNat arms combined to shut out the Woodpeckers, allowing just three hits and striking out nine. Mejia (1-0) earned the win, while Fayetteville starter Anthony Cruz (1-1) got the loss.

The shutout was Fredericksburg's second of the season and the first in a nine-inning game. The FredNats have now won three straight games to take a 3-2 series lead into Sunday's game six with Erik Tolman (0-0, 1.42) getting the ball in a 5:05 start.

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