CarL1 Potomac Nationals

P-Nats Chisel Down Hillcats 3-1 on Corona's Big Debut

Published on August 4, 2015 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Potomac Nationals News Release


Lynchburg, VA-On Tuesday night inside Lynchburg City Stadium on Calvin Falwell Field, the Potomac Nationals (50-57 Overall, 24-29 Road, 17-20 Second Half) chiseled down the Lynchburg Hillcats (54-55 Overall, 25-26 Home, 21-18 Second Half) holding the home club to just six base hits to take a 3-1 win in the opener of a three-game road series.

Potomac improved to (11-8) against Lynchburg in 2015 and with the triumph are now just 3.0 games back of the Northern Division-leading Hillcats in the second half playoff race.

P-Nats 2B Reegie Corona, in his Carolina League debut, missed hitting for the cycle by a home run and submitted four hits and two RBIs. Corona singled, ripped an RBI double, cranked a run-scoring triple, and sliced another one-base knock in his four plate appearances while scoring one run in the contest.

Nationals starter, LHP Matthew Spann (1-6) captured his coveted first win of the '15 campaign as a Potomac National in his ninth appearance and eighth start after hurling 5.0 innings and surrendering just one earned run on four base knocks (three doubles) and a quartet of walks (a season-high total). Spann struck out six batters which evened his campaign-best amount of Ks.

The Hillcats scored the first run of the game in the 2nd inning when Hillcats RF Mike Papi blasted a double off the right field wall, C Sicnarf Loopstok singled to right field, SS Ivan Castillo drew a walk, and SS Yhoxian Medina was also given a free pass with the bases-loaded to garner an RBI.

The P-Nats evened the score in the 4th frame against the eventual losing pitcher, Lynchburg RHP Mitch Brown (7-10), who suffered his 10th loss of the year and his third defeat vs. Potomac. Nationals 1B Grant DeBruin singled to center field and a passed ball charged to Loopstok got him to second base. Corona then swept his run-scoring double into the right field corner to tie the game at 1-1.

Brown gave up three runs (two earned runs) on 10 hits in 5.2 innings without walking anyone while fanning six men.

Two runs in the 6th stanza for the Nationals on the Corona run-scoring three-bagger to the right field corner and an RBI single lined back up the middle by Potomac C Craig Manuel gave the P-Nats a 3-1 lead they would not give up.

Lynchburg right-handed pitchers, Perci Garner, J.P. Feyereisen, and Trevor Frank combined for 3.1 scoreless innings out of the bullpen.

Potomac RHP Jake Johansen pitched out of two jams to turn in a pair of scoreless innings allowing two hits and two walks in the process. Johansen induced a line drive double play in the 6th off the bat of Castillo and started a 1-6-3 twin killing in the 7th on a hot-shot comebacker from Lynchburg LF LeVon Washington to aid his no-runs-allowed bullpen work.

Nationals RHP Derek Self worked a scoreless 8th as the setup man for closer, RHP Phillips Valdez (SV 1), who inked his first save of the season in his first save opportunity. Self witnessed DeBruin make a sensational glove-side diving stop on a ball smoked by Papi for the second out in the 8th and a great backhanded pick by SS Stephen Perez to assist a 6-3 putout of Loopstok for the final out of the inning.

In the 9th, Valdez induced a 6-3 groundout off the lumber of Hillcats DH Claudio Bautista, walked Castillo, worked Medina into a fielder's choice groundball to 3B Khayyan Norfork to cut down Castillo at second base, and then Washington scorched a liner to DeBruin at first to seal the Nationals' 50th victory in 2015.

Norfork replaced P-Nats 3B Drew Ward who left the game mid at-bat in the 2nd inning on a groundball hit foul that caused Ward some pain.

The Nationals are now a (10-10) team in their two-run games in 2015.

In series Game Two on Wednesday night, Potomac RHP Brian Rauh (2-0, 0.76) will duel on the mound with Lynchburg RHP Dace Kime (2-5, 4.34).

First pitch is slated for 6:30pm at Lynchburg City Stadium.

The Potomac Nationals Baseball Network will carry live coverage of the game beginning with the "P-Nats Lead-Off Show" at 6:15pm before the live play-by-play at 6:30pm. P-Nats Gameday Audio on the Potomac Nationals Baseball Network is accessible at www.potomacnationals.com or with the TuneIn Radio App.

Check out the Potomac Nationals Statistics

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Carolina League Stories from August 4, 2015


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