Nats Rally but Drop Heartbreaker to Salem

SALEM, VA - The Nationals rallied to tie the game with four runs in the top of the ninth inning, but suffered another walk off loss as the Red Sox won 7-6. Fredericksburg is now 16-7 (51-38) while Salem improves to 13-10 (47-42).

Travis Sykora allowed a pair of runs in the bottom of the first inning, one on a balk and then another on a bloop single from Andy Lugo. Lugo tagged Sykora for another run in the bottom of the third inning, to make it 3-0 Red Sox.

Fredericksburg got on the board in the top of the fifth, when Nick Peoples walked and Everett Cooper III reached on an E6. Elijah Green took advantage of the mistake and ripped a single through the left side to plate Peoples. Later in the frame, Marcus Brown’s sac fly to left field brought Cooper III in, and pulled FXBG to within one run at 3-2.

However, Salem pushed their lead out to 6-2 in the bottom of the frame with a pair of RBI doubles and a sacrifice fly.

The Red Sox held that lead into the top of the ninth, but the Nationals did not go down quietly. A leadoff walk and a double quickly put two men in scoring position, then a one-out walk to Elijah Green loaded the bases. Sammy Infante fell behind 0-2, before hammering a line drive off the left field wall to drive in two runs, and cut the deficit to 6-4. Marcus Brown kept the line moving with an RBI single up the middle, then Caleb Farmer tied the game with an infield single to make it 6-6, but the Nats could not drive in the go-ahead run from second base.

In the bottom of the ninth, Bubba Hall walked the leadoff man Nelly Taylor, then an errant pickoff throw allowed Taylor to take third base. Hall struck out the next batter, but Natanael Yuten chopped a ball into right field for his second walk off hit in as many nights. Francis Hernandes (2-6) earned the win in relief, and Bubba Hall (5-2) suffered the loss.

In the series finale, Dustin Saenz (MiLB Rehab) gets the start on his road back from injury, against Noah Dean (2-3, 4.08) in a 3:05 start.