Colmenares Walks Off Delmarva

FREDERICKSBURG, VA - Jose Colmenares was the walk off hero for the Freddies on Harry Potter night, to secure a 3-2 win in 11 innings. The Nats are now 20-9 (55-40), while Delmarva drops to 12-17 (35-59).

Delmarva struck first in this magical tilt, when they brought in a run on an E5 in the top of the fourth inning. That would go down as an unearned run for Travis Sykora, and the only run he surrendered all night. The right-hander struck out a career-best 10 hitters across four strong frames.

The ‘Birds doubled their lead in the fifth inning, as Brylin Tavera drove in Thomas Sosa with an RBI single to make it 2-0.

Fredericksburg broke the seal in the home seventh, on Nate Rombach’s sky-scraping solo home run to cut the deficit to just one run. Then in the bottom of the eighth, Brenner Cox tied the game with a booming double off the top of the right field wall.

Neither side could break the deadlock in the ninth or the 10th inning, and Fredericksburg stranded a runner at second base in the 11th to set up a walk off chance in the bottom half.

Cristhian Vaquero entered as a pinch runner at second base, and did not have to wait long. Jose Colmenares slapped the third pitch of the frame into right field, and Vaquero flew in from second base to score the winning run for FXBG. Merrick Baldo (1-1) got his first victory this year, and Eddy Alberto (0-1) took the loss.

In the series finale, Travis Sthele (5-6, 5.71) makes his second start, against Juan Rojas (2-4, 5.04) in a 1:35 start.