Mudcats Swept After 10-1 Loss in Potomac

WOODBRIDGE, VA - Starter Alec Bettinger allowed eight runs and nine hits while pitching into the second and the Nationals totaled 14 hits in a sweep clinching 10-1 victory versus the Mudcats in Sunday's series final at Northwest Federal Field at Pfitzner Stadium in Potomac.

Bettinger, in his first Carolina League start in his hometown Woodbridge, VA, took the loss for Carolina (19-17, 53-53) after allowing eight runs and nine hits over just an inning and 1/3. He also struck out two and threw 61 pitches (44 strikes) while leaving the game with one out in the second inning.
The Potomac (17-18, 54-48) half of the first began with a lead off single from Bryan Mejia and continued with three straight hits from Luis Garcia, Ian Sagdal and Nick Banks. Sagdal's single scored Mejia and Banks' double brought in both Garcia and Sagdal. Jackson Reetz also had a run scoring single in the first as he brought in Banks with a hit to right.
Bettinger (1-2, 4.82) needed just over 40 pitches to get through Potomac's four run and five hit opening frame. He returned for the second, but recorded just one out while facing five batters and allowing two more runs on three hits. 
The Potomac offense started the second with a leadoff single from Edwin Lora, but Bettinger answered back with a strikeout of Mejia. Garcia, Sagdal and Banks then followed with consecutive singles, thus knocking Bettinger out of the game. Banks' hit brought in both Lora and Garcia to put the P-Nats up 6-0. The lead then ran to 7-0 when reliever Alec Kenilvort allowed a run to score on a wild pitch. Moments later, Reetz then came through with his second RBI hit of the game to make it 8-0 Potomac.
Kenilvort allowed two inherited runners to score in the second before getting through the rest of the inning unscathed. He went on to hold the Nationals scoreless over the next three innings while working through a season high three and 2/3 innings pitched. He also allowed two hits, walked two and struck out three.
Wuilder Rodriguez entered the game in the sixth and finished the game for Carolina. He allowed a two-run homer to Sagdal in the sixth, but pitched through three innings overall with just two runs and three hits allowed. 
P-Nats starter Kyle Johnston, meanwhile, took the early lead and ran with it as he cruised his way through six scoreless frames with just two hits allowed. Johnston (2-1, 3.79) also struck out five, walked three and retired six straight to start the game while earning the win.
Johnston was later followed in the game by relievers Jacob Condra-Bogan, Hayden Howard and Taylor Guilbeau. Condra-Bogan pitched a scoreless seventh and struck out one. Howard worked a scoreless eighth and Guilbeau allowed a run on three hits while also walking one and striking out one.
Carolina's lone run of the game came in the ninth when Mario Feliciano and Dustin Houle both had doubles to deep right. Feliciano's double started the Carolina ninth and Houle's run scoring to double to drive in Feliciano followed two batters later after Guilbeau struck out a batter. Houle went 2-for-4 with a double and a RBI in the loss.
Garcia went 4-for-5 with three runs and two doubles in the game for the Nationals. Sagdal also scored three runs and went 3-for-5 with a home run and three RBI. Banks finished the game 3-for-4 with two runs and three RBI. Banks drove in two and was 2-for-4.
The Mudcats were swept in the series and fell to 0-3 in their current six game road trip. The trip will continue, following Monday's off-day, on Tuesday, August 1 in Winston-Salem. The game will air on the Mudcats Radio Network, the Big Dawg 98.5 FM and via TuneIn Radio at carolinamudcats.com.
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