Friday Night Fireworks in Walk-Off Win for the Sox

SALEM, Va. – After 19 days away, the Red Sox came out of the All-Star break with a bang, taking game one of the three game set against Fredericksburg in walk-off fashion.

A game that saw costly mistakes, base-running blunders, five combined errors, and a five-man infield in the late stages saw the Red Sox burst through the rust for the win.

The FredNats drew first blood right from the get go in the first. No. 29 Nationals prospect Brenner Cox led the frame off with a base-hit and proceeded to steal second before Sammy Infante hit him home with an RBI-double, giving Fredericksburg a 1-0 lead.

Red Sox starter Luis Cohen bounced back with a shut-down frame in the second and sat them down in four in the third. Salem went with the lefty, Michael Sansone for the fourth.

Fredericksburg would get back into their offensive groove, taking control of the game with a run on three hits in the fourth. Marcus Brown has the headlining play with an RBI-triple before a base-running owie nailed him out at the plate on a nine-two double play. This was just the first of many for Fredericksburg as Armando Cruz ended the inning by being picked off between second and third for the final out.

Leading 2-0 heading to the fifth, the Nats added another run on an RBI-double from Brenner Cox at the top of the order to take a three-run lead. He would later be caught stealing at third.

Salem finally cracked the seal with a pair of runs in the home half of the fifth to make it a one-run game thanks to unforced errors by the FredNats defense. Daniel McElveny gave the Red Sox life with two outs on a strikeout via a wild pitch that gave him first base. Red Sox No. 8 prospect Nazzan Zanetello kept it going, taking first on an E4 before No. 18 prospect Antonio Anderson cashed in with a 2-RBI triple past the diving glove of Freddy outfielder Brenner Cox… another defensive mistake for the Nationals.

Leaving runners on second and third in the sixth, the Sox tied the game at three in the seventh. Daniel McElveny was hit by a pitch to lead off and the very next pitch hit Zanetello as well. Anderson struck again with an RBI-single. He would finish three-for-four with a walk and three runs-batted-in.

The Nats pulled ahead once again with a run in the eighth on a sacrifice fly from Brandon Pimental as Salem fell dead in the water with a three-up three-down inning offensively.

Nevertheless, the defense showed up big with a one, two, three frame of their own in the ninth before the offense found just enough life. Walks by McElveny and Anderson set the table as a throwing error into the dugout by FredNats shortstop Armando Cruz allowed the tying run to score.

Despite allowing a run on another error in the tenth, the Sox found a way to walk it off in the bottom half. Marvin Alcantara tied the game with his second hit of the game and Nataneal Yuten sealed the deal with a walk-off RBI-fielder’s choice as the Nationals dawned a five-man defensive infield.

The two teams square off again on Saturday night at 6:05 p.m. in Salem.