Potomac Nationals Sweep Double-Header Over Winston-Salem Warthogs - Advanced A, Carolina League

MLN - THE RAW FEED - www.mlntherawfeed.com – WOODBRIDGE, Va.— The Potomac Nationals pulled a rabbit out of their hat onTuesday night. The P-Nats scored a single run in one game and managedexactly zero hits in the other and still managed to sweep Winston-Salem ina double-header at Pfitzner Stadium.

In game one, Cory VanAllen pitched perhaps his best game of the season.
VanAllen was nearly perfect through the first seven innings as he held the
Warthogs offense to just one hit while striking out four. The left-hander
sent down the Winston-Salem lineup in order every inning except the top of
the fourth when Lee Cruz doubled. VanAllen lowered his ERA to 0.66, which
currently ranks second in the Carolina League.

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Despite the strong outing, VanAllen did not earn the victory. As the game
went to extra innings, Adam Carr (2-2) escaped the eighth inning by
stranding the lead run on second base.

The Nationals’ offense, similar to Winston-Salem’s could not figure out
Hogs starter Michael Dubee. Dubee (2-1) matched VanAllen inning for inning
peppering six hits over 7 2/3 innings.

Potomac’s offense broke through against the right-hander in the bottom of
the eighth. After Steve Doetsch walked and Michael Martinez beat out an
infield single, Elijah Dukes recorded his first RBI as a P-Nat and the
games lone run when he knocked in the game-winning RBI with a two-out
single.

The 1-0 win improved Potomac’s record to 4-0 in extra-inning games, and
was the clubs eighth straight extra-inning win dating back to last season!
The victory also marked the fourth shutout that Nationals’ pitchers have
thrown this season.

Game two made a piece of history at Pfitzner Stadium. The Nationals were
no-hit for six innings and still defeated the Warthogs 3-2.

Matt Zaleski pitched well enough for a win, but his bullpen could not hold
a 2-0 lead. Zaleski silenced the Potomac bats over five innings while
striking out two, and only allowed two base runners on consecutive walks
in the bottom of the fifth.

Matt Long (1-2) and Kanekoa Texeira combined with Zaleski for the
no-hitter, but the pair could not throw strikes. Leading 2-0 in the bottom
of the sixth, the Warthogs self –destructed as the first three Nationals
reached base via an error and two walks. After a passed ball scored one
run and an intentional walk was issued to Leonard Davis, Texeira walked
Edgardo Baez to bring in the tying run. Dee Brown barely managed to beat
out a ground ball that was nearly a double play allowing Jemel Spearman to
score the eventual winning run.

Zech Zinicola pitched a perfect seventh inning to earn his second
consecutive save and extend his scoreless innings streak to 11 1/3.

Potomac starter Ross Detwiler still battled control problems as he walked
four during his five innings of work. Despite allowing base runners in
every inning, the left-hander limited the Warthogs to only two runs. The
22-year-old pitched far better than his previous start where he lasted
just 2/3 of an inning.

Nationals’ manager Randy Knorr was part of a similar game on May 19, 2005,
while he was managing in Savannah. Knorr’s Sand-Gnats defeated Greenville
4-3 without recording a single hit.

The last no-hitter thrown at Pfitzner Stadium came May 19, 1995 when
Prince William no-hit Frederick and won 3-0 in seven innings. The last
no-hitter in the Carolina League came April 12, 2006 when Frederick no-hit
Salem in seven innings.

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