CarL1 Potomac Nationals

P-Nats Smash Dash in Soggy Contest

Published on August 19, 2009 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Potomac Nationals News Release


WINSTON-SALEM, NC- With just two and a half weeks remaining in the 2009 regular season, every game is important for the Potomac Nationals in their quest for back to back Mills Cup titles. The team entered play on Wednesday just a half-game behind the Wilmington Blue Rocks in the Northern Division, and the Blue Rocks continued their winning ways with a 9-7 comeback win against Frederick. The P-Nats kept pace, however, with a 9-1 drubbing of Winston-Salem in a rain-soaked night at Wake Forest Baseball Park.

The matchup was billed as a duel between two of the top hurlers in the Carolina League as Tom Milone and Anthony Carter got the nods for their respective teams in game three of this four-game set. Carter looked solid at the beginning of the ballgame as the Dash took an early lead on a Sergio Morales RBI double in the bottom of the second inning off Milone, but the P-Nats snatched that lead right back in the top of the third.

Michael Martinez walked and Danny Espinosa doubled to lead off the frame to put the P-Nats in business, and Jesus Valdez knocked a groundball up the middle to plate both table-setters to give the P-Nats a 2-1 lead. Valdez was off to a big day at the plate, going 2-for-4 with three RBI and a double.

The teams would trade zeroes until the top of the sixth inning when Potomac would break out their power bats against Carter (11-6). Tim Pahuta led off with a walk and Devin Ivany then launched a towering fly ball that managed to remain fair down the left field line as drops of rain began to fall. For Ivany, it was his fourth home run of the season that topped off his first four-hit game of the year, going 4-for-4 with three RBI as well.

With the rain coming down in torrents from the night sky, Dan Nelson stepped into the box immediately following Ivany and lined a 3-2 pitch just over the right-field wall for his sixth long ball of the year, the second of back-to-back jacks for the P-Nats. After Nelson rounded the bases, the umpires pulled the players off the field and the squads waited out a 47 minute rain delay before play was resumed.

The P-Nats tacked on three more runs after the delay to push the lead to 8-1 and would add another in the ninth to take a 9-1 lead that would be more than enough for Potomac to pull off their second win of the series.

Milone (10-4) earned the win going five innings, allowing one run on three hits while striking out three. The lefty did not come back out after the rain delay but was cruising on the hill after surrendering that initial run in the second. He is now 4-0 in four starts in the month of August with a 0.75 ERA and has taken command as the ace of this Potomac Nationals pitching staff.

These two teams will be back for the finale of this four-game set on Thursday evening with first pitch scheduled for 7 ET. You can catch all the action live on www.potomacnationals.com with Dan McGinn and Anthony Masterson starting with the pregame show at 6:40 ET.

For more information on tickets, daily promotions, and all things P-Nats, call (703) 590-2311 or log onto www.potomacnationals.com to join the party!

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Carolina League Stories from August 19, 2009


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