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CarL1 Potomac Nationals

Rauh Shoves Seven Shutout Frames to Blank Wilmington and Win Series

April 21, 2015 - Carolina League (CarL1)
Potomac Nationals News Release


Wilmington, DE- The P-Nats (8-5-Overall, 5-1-Road) RHP Brian Rauh held the Wilmington Blue Rocks (6-6-Overall, 3-3-Home) off the scoreboard for seven innings while his offense scattered six runs and ten hits to propel him to his second win of the season in the 6-0 ballgame.

Rauh (2-0, 0.51) made his third start of the season for Potomac and second road start of this seven-game trip looking to pitch the P-Nats to a series win for the second consecutive series.

Wilmington, looking to earn a split in the first two games of the series, sent LHP Cody Reed (2-1, 2.92) to the mound to face Potomac.

For the sixth straight game Potomac got on the scoreboard first in the top of the second after 3B Drew Ward reached on an infield single. Ward swiped second base and moved to third on a wild pitch before crossing the plate on LF Narciso Mesa's first RBI single of the season for a 1-0 P-Nats lead. With Mesa picking up the RBI every position player now has an RBI for Potomac.

Rauh held the Blue Rocks offense off balance all evening. All he allowed was a hit and a walk in the bottom of the first and then a one-out single that was later erased by a double play ball off the bat of 1B Robert Pehl in the bottom of the fifth. From the double play ball that ended the first frame through one out in the fifth, Rauh retired 11 Blue Rocks in a row.

The red, white and blue added two tallies in the top of the fourth against Reed and the Blue Rocks courtesy of a RF John Wooten single. 1B Jimmy Yezzo and Mesa both smacked RBI doubles to push the lead to 3-0 P-Nats. Yezzo's plated Wooten for his fourth RBI of the campaign and Mesa's brought home Yezzo for his second RBI of the ballgame.

RHP Luke Farrell entered the game and closed out the fourth but with one out in the top of the fifth C Spencer Kieboom walked and moved to second on a groundout by DH Khayyan Norfork. Kieboom hustled home on a single by Ward to make it 4-0 Potomac.

Reed's night came to an end after pitching 3.1 innings and allowing seven hits, three runs (all earned) one walk and one strike out; he took his first loss of the season.

Despite striking out six straight hitters from the sixth and into the seventh, Farrell was dinged for another run in the top of the seventh. CF Isaac Ballou walked, stole second, moved to third on a wild pitch and then came home on a wild pitch for a 5-0 P-Nats advantage.

The final run of the contest was a Wooten single in the top of the eighth. Farrel was then charged with a balk that moved Wooten to second base. A wild pitch advanced Wooten to third base and SS Wilmer Difo knocked him in with a single for his second hit of the night and a 6-0. Difo extended his hitting streak to seven games, the longest such streak by a P-Nat this season.

Rauh was lifted after seven shutout frames in which he relinquished two hits, a walk and he struck out three, earning his second win of the season. LHP Justin Thomas came in and pitched a perfect eighth inning followed by RHP Cody Davis, who logged a scoreless ninth frame to close out the 6-0 victory. The shutout win was the third such win by the P-Nats this season.

The series finale is tomorrow in Wilmington with first pitch slated for 10:35 am. Potomac looks to go to 6-1 on the season opening road trip and they will send RHP Blake Schwartz (0-1, 4.09) to the mound to face off against Wilmington's RHP Alec Mills (0-1, 4.50).

The "P-Nats Lead-Off Show" will kick off the broadcast at 10:20 am and you can listen to all the action all season long at www.potomacnationals.com and via the TuneIn Radio App.

The Potomac Nationals of the Carolina League play at Pfitzner Stadium in Woodbridge, Virginia, and are the Class-A Advanced affiliate of the Washington Nationals. The Potomac Nationals have claimed five Carolina League Championship titles (1982, 1989, 2008, 2010, and 2014) and nine CL Northern Division Championships. The P-Nats are the defending Carolina League Champions after winning the 2014 Mills Cup Championship Series. Potomac Nationals 2015 season tickets and mini plans are now on sale. Sponsorship opportunities for the 2015 season and beyond are available. Corporate outing reservations for the 2015 season to watch the future stars of the Washington Nationals at The Pfitz may be placed now as the P-Nats offer discounted group rates and all-inclusive picnics. Visit the P-Nats online www.potomacnationals.com or call the Potomac Nationals Ticket Office at 703-590-2311 for more information!

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