Nats and 'Cats Split Twin Bill

FREDERICKSBURG , VA - The Mudcats and FredNats split a twin bill, with Fredericksburg winning game one and Carolina taking game two. Fredericksburg is 26-15 (61-45) after the DH, and Carolina is 22-18 (62-42).

In game one, the Mudcats took the early lead with an RBI single from Reece Walling, and held that lead into the bottom of the fourth inning.

Fredericksburg finally broke through against Carolina starter Josh Timmerman. He hit Brenner Cox to open the frame, then Brandon Pimentel promptly tied the ballgame with an RBI double he tucked inside the left field line. Back-to-back walks then loaded the bases, and prompted a pitching change. New arm Jesus Flores proceeded to walk home one run, then Jorgelys Mota legged out an infield single to make it 3-1 Nationals. Flores then walked home another run, giving Fredericksburg a three-run cushion.

That was all the distance the FredNats needed, as Bubba Hall and Anthony Arguelles combined to shut down Carolina over the final three frames, and secure a 4-1 win. Hall (6-2) got the ‘W’ on his line, Timmerman (4-1) suffered his first loss, and Arguelles notched his sixth save.

In game two, Carolina struck first once again. Luis Castillo reached base in the top of the first inning with a two-out single, then Daniel Guilarte brought him around with a booming double to center field.

Travis Sthele didn’t allow any further damage after that, powering through six innings and allowing just four base hits. However, Mudcat starter Bryan Rivera flummoxed the FredNats across six shutout innings, giving up just two hits and fanning nine men.

With the Freddies down 1-0 going into the bottom of the seventh (of a scheduled seven inning game), Brandon Pimentel tied it up with his seventh homer of the year, which sent the game to extra innings.

Matt Bollenbacher nearly worked out of a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the top of the eighth inning, but surrendered a two-run single with two outs, putting the ‘Cats up 3-1.

Fredericksburg went down in order in the bottom of the eighth, as Carolina split the doubleheader with a 3-1 victory in game two. Dikember Sanchez (2-1) earned the win, and Bollenbacher (0-1) took his first decision of the year.

In the series finale, Bryan Polanco (7-4, 4.34) makes his second start of the week, against Ryan Birchard (1-0, 3.38) in a 1:35 Sunday matinee.