After losing five straight games all by two runs or less, history looked like it may repeat itself on Saturday night in Delmarva when the FredNats were up two runs in the 9th and the Shorebirds were threatening again.
With the FredNats up 5-3 and the bases loaded after three singles in the inning, with one out, Trendon Craig grounded a single right back up the middle to center field. One run scored, and Luis Valdez was barreling towards home plate to try and tie the game.
Jacob Young had other plans. The FredNat centerfielder threw a frozen rope to catcher Jake Sullivan, Valdez was tagged out, and the FredNats held on for a 5-4 win for their first victory in the series at Perdue Stadium.
Sammy Infante hit two solo home runs in the 6th and 8th innings for his Carolina League-leading 8th and 9th of the year, Jeremy De La Rosa had four hits to raise his batting average to .340, and top pitching prospect Andry Lara earned his first win of the season after going five innings and allowing just two earned runs.
The FredNats fell behind 2-0 after two innings but scored three runs in the 3rd off Young’s 5th triple of the season which scored Viandel Peña. Young also scored on the play after a throwing error by Delmarva, and Steven Williams drove in the third run of the inning with a groundout. Infante’s solo homers were the rest of the offense for the FredNats, who scattered 13 hits throughout the contest.
Tyler Schoff pitched two innings of relief and earned his second hold of the year, and Jose Ferrer got his second save of the year, helped out by Young’s throw in the 9th.
The FredNats will look to take the final two games of the series in the finale starting tomorrow at 2:05 p.m.
