When the Fredericksburg Nationals needed a spark in the third and deciding game of the Carolina League Championship Series, two familiar faces came through in the clutch.
Travis Sykora pitched five shutout innings, and Brandon Pimentel hit a two-run home run, sparking the FredNats to a 3-0 victory over Kannapolis for the Carolina League championship on Wednesday night at Virginia Credit Union Stadium.
It’s the franchise’s first league crown since relocating from Woodbridge to Fredericksburg in 2020.
“Playing complete games was our playoff focus,” Fredericksburg manager Jake Lowery said. “Good pitching, good defense and timely hitting. … We did it.”
Sykora, who led the league in ERA (2.33) and WHIP (0.91), and all of Single-A in strikeouts (129) during the regular season, showcased that same dominant form under the bright lights. The former 2023 third-round draft pick struck out nine and allowed just one hit over five innings of work.
“He did what he’s done all year,” Lowery said of Sykora, who recently took home both Carolina League and Washington Nationals organizational pitcher of the year honors. “It’s awesome to watch. He did exactly what we wanted. … Five innings, no runs and gave us a chance to win.”
Pimentel, who paced the FredNats in a handful of offensive categories this year including OBP (.329) and RBIs (85), provided Sykora with the only run support he would need. He launched the first pitch he saw from the Cannon Ballers’ Mason Moore over the right-field wall for a two-run homer with one out in the bottom of the second.
“He’s been consistent all year,” Lowery said of his first baseman. “For him to be snubbed in [Carolina League] postseason all-star voting, it’s a shame, because he’s meant so much to our team this year.”
Nate Ochoa padded Fredericksburg’s lead with a two-out RBI single that bounced off the second base bag and caromed into center field in the bottom of the sixth.
The FredNats’ bullpen took over the heavy lifting from Sykora late. Robert Cranz worked around a pair of walks to post a scoreless sixth, and Anthony Arguelles picked up the save with a perfect seventh. He struck out Kannapolis catcher Jackson Appel looking for the final out, setting off a wild celebration.
The contest was played in seven innings after Tuesday night’s scheduled Game 2 was rained out. That game started at 5:15 p.m. Wednesday as part of a seven-inning doubleheader. Kannapolis won 3-0, limiting Fredericksburg to just one hit and forcing Wednesday night’s Game 3.
Lowery said his club had no trouble putting the Game 2 setback behind it.
“As soon as that game ended, the guys were able to flush it,” he said. “They knew it was one of those situations as professionals where you’ve got to flush it as quick as possible because you’ve got to turn right around, strap it up and be ready to roll [again].”
Sykora was ready to roll from the get-go. The 6-foot-6 right-hander sat down seven of the first nine batters he faced on strikes, including striking out the side in the second. He faced the minimum 15 batters, with Jeral Perez’s leadoff single in the third being the only blemish on his ledger. Perez was thrown out from left field by Ochoa while trying to stretch that single into a double.
The FredNats had a couple of opportunities to add to their lead during the middle innings, but came up just short each time. Elijah Green tripled to right with one out in the third, but was thrown out at home by Cannon Ballers right fielder George Wolkow while trying to score on Seaver King’s flyout. In the fifth, Brenner Cox drew a one-out walk and advanced to third on King’s two-out single, but was stranded when Kevin Bazzell struck out.
Fredericksburg co-owner Seth Silber addressed the fans during the postgame trophy presentation, thanking them for helping bring baseball to the city and sticking with the team after COVID-19 forced the cancellation of its inaugural season in 2020. He added that principal owner Art Silber was watching from his home in Florida following the passing of his wife over the weekend.
“You’re the best fans in Minor League Baseball,” Silber said.
