Frederick Keys Sweep Doubleheader Against Rival Potomac Nationals to Win Series

MLN Newswire - www.mlntherawfeed.com – FREDERICK, Md.— The four-game set between the Potomac Nationals and Frederick Keys was supposed to decide the first half championship in the Carolina League Northern Division. Instead, the Keys lost 13 straight and the Nationals went on to clinch this past Monday. While falling short of a division crown, Frederick did manage to sweep a doubleheader from Potomac on the first half’s final day and take three of four in the series from the division champs.

Both teams traded runs in game one of the double-dip. Potomac mounted a two-out rally in the game’s opening inning. Chris Marrero reached on an infield single and Leonard Davis followed with a base hit to right.
Edgardo Baez collected his league-leading 49th RBI with a base hit to center field, scoring Marrero and extending his hit streak to 13 games.

Frederick wasted little time countering in the bottom of the frame. After Ryan McCarthy drew a one-out walk off of P-Nats starter Jeff Mandel, Matt Wieters hit a line drive single up the middle. Centreville, Va., native Brandon Snyder then singled to left driving in McCarthy and knotting the game at 1-1.

The Nationals would regain the lead in the top of the sixth inning. Davis led off the frame with a double off of Keys starter Jake Arrieta and came home to score on a two-out, RBI single to right off of the bat of Dee Brown giving the P-Nats a 2-1 advantage.

The Keys again answered in the bottom of the sixth. McCarthy again reached on a walk, this time leading off the inning against Mandel. After Wieters struck out swinging, Snyder delivered with a RBI triple to right-center

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field plating McCarthy and evening the score 2-2.

Both squads failed to score as the game went past the scheduled seven innings, then past the normal nine frames, and it wasn’t until the 11th that the game would be decided.

Todd Davison, who entered the game for Frederick as a pinch hitter in the bottom of the sixth and played in left field and at third base, singled leading off the 11th against Potomac reliever Carlos Martinez (0-2). He advanced to second on a Paul Winterling sacrifice bunt and came home to score the winning run on a Justin Johnson single to center field.

Wilfrido Perez (1-4) earned his first win with two scoreless innings of relief.

Mandel had another quality outing for the P-Nats allowing just two runs on four hits 5 1/3 innings but did not factor into the decision.

In game two, all of the scoring came on two swings of the bat. Miguel Abreu led off the bottom of the third inning with a home run down the left field line off of Potomac starter Justin Jones (0-1) and then Chris Vinyard hit a two-out solo shot to left off of reliever Luis Atilano lifting Frederick to the 2-0 victory.

Jones went four innings in his 2008 Carolina League debut, giving up just the one run on six hits while striking out four and walking only one.

Keys starter Jake Renshaw (7-5) snapped a three-game losing streak working six shutout-innings limiting the Nationals to five hits while striking out seven and walking just one. It was his second victory over Potomac as the
22-year-old knocked off the P-Nats 6-2 at Pfitzner Stadium on May 4. In addition, it was just the third time Potomac was shutout this season and was the first time the P-Nats dropped a four-game series.

The first half division champs finished with a 42-27 record which matches the 1984 Prince William Pirates and 1989 Prince William Cannons for third-most wins in a half in the 31-year history of the franchise.

The Potomac Nationals will begin the second half of the Carolina League season in Winston-Salem on Tuesday night against the Warthogs. First pitch is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. at Ernie Shore Field.

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