Ochia, FredNats Storm Back on Scorching Day to Beat Kannapolis, 10-9

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CarL Fredericksburg Nationals

Ochia, FredNats Storm Back on Scorching Day to Beat Kannapolis, 10-9

June 24, 2025 - Carolina League (CarL)
Fredericksburg Nationals News Release


FREDERICKSBURG, VA - The Fredericksburg Nationals (3-1, 32-36) overcame a 7-0 deficit on a 100-degree day to beat the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers (0-4, 32-38), winning 10-9 on a walkoff single from Nate Ochoa, who had three hits and drove in three runs on Tuesday night in a 2024 Carolina League Championship Series rematch.

Kannapolis entered Tuesday's game on a 10-game losing streak and did not look like it early on. The Cannon Ballers swatted around Fredericksburg's starter, Brayan Romero, spraying six hits and seven runs around the yard in the game's first three innings. The Cannon Ballers got an early three-RBI double from T.J. McCants and a two-run home run, mashed over the center field wall, from Ryan Burrowes to jump out to the 7-0 lead.

After three of the toughest innings of the season, Fredericksburg started to turn things around. The first five FredNats reached in the fourth against Seth Keener to begin the crawl back. Nate Rombach and Roismar Quintana tattooed singles and then Randal Diaz yanked a double down the left field line to plate the first FredNats run of the night. After a Kevin Bazzell walk, Ochoa made his first big mark on the night, slapping a base hit into center field to drive in two and cut the lead to 7-3.

The Cannon Ballers tallied an add-on run in the sixth inning, when Nathan Archer unloaded on a towering home run down the right field line, but the FredNats were right back up in their grill after, plating two in the seventh. Luke Dickerson and Rombach drew walks, scoring on a double from Quintana and a sacrifice fly from Diaz. At the end of seven, the game was 8-5.

After a solo tally in the top of the eighth for Kannapolis, Fredericksburg entered the bottom of the inning down by four with six outs to work with. With one out, Ochoa doubled off of the right field wall. Yoander Rivero and Francesco Barbieri followed with their first hits of the night, singling Ochoa over and in. Cristhian Vaquero worked a walk ahead of Dickerson, who rattled a line drive single over the head of the second baseman Burrowes to score two and draw the FredNats within one. Then, with Rombach at the plate, Dickerson sprang for second and the throw there opened a window for Vaquero to sprint home. He galloped down the line, contorted his body to the back corner of home plate, slapped his hand down ahead of the tag from the catcher, Ronny Hernandez, and scored to tie the game 9-9.

Merrick Baldo pitched a scoreless top of the ninth inning, setting the FredNats up in prime position for a walkoff win, needing just one run. Randal Diaz started the inning by drawing a competitive walk and instantly advanced to second on a wild pitch. Bazzell moved him over with a groundout and set Ochoa up with an opportunity to win the game. Ochoa, who had entered Sunday's game in Salem 1/28 in the month of June, chopped a ground ball single up the middle to tally his eighth RBI in the last two FredNat games and brought Diaz in for the raucous come-from-behind win.

The seven-run deficit is the largest the FredNats have come back from for a win in 2025 and the 10 runs tied for the second-most Fredericksburg has scored in a game this year. With the blown lead, Kannapolis saw its season-long losing streak extend to 11 games.

Baldo (4-1) got the win, as Blake Shepardson (0-1) got the loss in relief. With the FredNats up 1-0 in the series, they will hand the ball to Bryan Polanco (4-5, 3.96) in game two on Wednesday in a 6:35 start.

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