CarL1 Potomac Nationals

Ninth inning homer changes lead for fourth and final time

Published on April 23, 2011 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Potomac Nationals News Release


(SALEM, VA) J.P. Ramirez's solo home run in the ninth inning was the exclamation point on the Potomac Nationals' 9-8 comeback win in a seesaw affair on Saturday evening in Salem. A game that featured four lead changes, eleven extra base hits, and a grand slam ended when Jose Lozada made a diving stop on a Reynaldo Rodriguez liner up the middle and flipped to second for the final out.

In order to get to the bottom of the ninth with the lead, that Nationals overcame two separate three-run deficits. After Dan Butler hit a grand slam homer in the first inning, the Nationals trailed 4-1. Potomac had taken the lead on Steven Souza's first inning double, his league-leading 18th RBI.

Potomac answered back with four runs of its own in the top of the second. With one out, J.R. Higley doubled to left and scored when Sandy Leon followed with a double of his own. Lozada then laid down a perfect bunt single to push Leon to third. Francisco Soriano walked to load the bases before Jeff Kobernus grounded into a fielder's choice to make it 4-3. Destin Hood then seized the lead back with a double to deep centerfield.

The Nats' lead was short lived, as Salem stormed to three runs in the third in Potomac starter Marcos Frias's last inning of work. David Mailman doubled home Rodriguez, but that P-Nats saved a run by throwing out Butler at the plate. Two more runs scored on the Sox second two-base hit of the inning by shorstop Derrik Gibson, and Salem led 7-5.

They tacked on an insurance run in the fifth off Kyle Morrison. Rodriguez led off the inning with a base hit and stole second. He tagged and moved to third on a Mailman fly out, and scored on Almanzar's single.

Morrison would settle in and pitch two scoreless innings to keep Potomac in the game. In the seventh, they tied it at 8. A leadoff walk to Francicso Soriano opened the inning and was followed by a pair of singles by Kobernus and Hood, the latter of which scored Soriano. After Souza flied out, Steven King doubled to center to bring Kobernus home. Hood crossed the plate when Ramirez grounded to the right side of the infield with one out.

Adam Olbrychowski worked around a leadoff Rodriguez double in the seventh to keep the encounter tied. Butler lined to right field and the Nats got a crucial double play when Rodriguez was got way off the bag.

With two outs in the ninth, J.P. Ramirez pummeled a 2-0 pitch high over the wall in right field to put the Nats ahead for the first time since the second inning. Pat Lehman worked around a two-out single by Kolbrin Vitek and closed the game on the Rodriguez grounder for his third save.

Kobernus and Hood each had two base hits; Hood drove the Nats' second basemen home three times. Sandy Leon continued to torment Salem pitching and went 3-for-4 with a double, and Soriano walked four times and scored a run.

With a split guaranteed, the Nationals will look to win their second straight series Sunday in Salem. Righthander Alex Caldera will take the mound against Ryan Pressly at 4:05.

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Carolina League Stories from April 23, 2011


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