CarL1 Potomac Nationals

P-Nats Walk off Winners for First Win

Published on April 10, 2011 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Potomac Nationals News Release


(WOODBRIDGE,VA) The Potomac Nationals walked off with a 7-6 win Sundayafternoon in Woodbridge, when Rick Hague's tenth inning double scored EuryPerez from second base to cap off a seesaw battle that had 5 lead changes. The win is Potomac's first of 2011, andearned the P-Nats a split of the abbreviated opening series with Lynchburg.

Some recurring themes told Sunday's story: for the secondstraight day the Nationals played a one-run game, they jumped out to a lead forthe second day in a row, and Steven Souza blasted a home run on back to back days. Eury Perez's speed was a factor on the base paths onceagain, as he stole his third and fourth bases of the year, and Rick Haguecontinued his clutch hitting and run production.

The Nats seized the lead in the second when Souza hit atowering bomb deep into the woods beyond the left field wall. The score stayed that way until thefourth; Adam Milligan led off the frame with a triple against Nationals'starter Trevor Holder and scored when Joseph Terdoslavich grounded out tosecond.

Lynchburg surged in front in the fifth. After Andrelton Simmons singled withone out, Phil Gosselin blasted a mammoth home run to left.

The Nationals answered back to halve the lead in their half of the fifth, andit all started with Eury Perez, who laid down a perfect bunt single on thefirst base line. Jeff Kobernusthen singled to move Perez to third. Hague singled to right to bring the speedy Perez across the dish.

Potomac and Lynchburg then traded the lead. Destin Hood led off the sixth inning with a single before Souzastruck out. Stephen King thensingled to left before Brian Peacock walked to load the bases. Cutter Dykstra then walked to drive inthe tying run. Perez then groundedout to bring in the go-ahead run.

Lynchburg took back the edge in the 7th; CoryBrownstein led off the frame with a double and scored on a Simmonstwo-bagger. Simmons put Lynchburgback ahead when he scored on a Todd Cunningham double, the Hillcats' third ofthe inning.

They would not lead for long; After a pair of walks and apassed ball, Souza struck again. He doubled to right to put Potomac up 6-5.

In the ninth, Pat Lehman was brought on for his first saveopportunity. A ground ball singlefollowed by a bunt single set the table for Lynchburg. Simmons sacrificed both to second andthird, and Gosselin tied the game with an RBI groundout. Lehman escaped the inning whenCunningham grounded out to Hague.

After the Nats were retired in their half of the ninth andLehman breezed worked around a one-out error in the top of the 10th,the Nationals went to work in the bottom of the 10th. Dykstra opened the inning with asingle back through the middle. Dykstra was forced out on a Perez grounder, but the speedy Perez wassafe at first. Perez stole secondbase for his fourth of the year to set the table for Hague. Hague then crafted the perfect endingto the day when he crushed a laser over the head of Todd Cunningham in center.

The Nationals welcome the Winston-Salem Dash to Woodbridge Monday for a rematchof the 2010 Mills Cup Championship Series. Game one gets underway at 7:05 P.M.; Marcos Frias makes hisfirst start of 2011 against Cameron Bayne.

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Carolina League Stories from April 10, 2011


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