Fredericksburg, VA. – The Charleston RiverDogs rallied late and used a strong bullpen performance to secure a 6-2 road win over the Fredericksburg Nationals on Wednesday afternoon at Virginia Credit Union Stadium.
This win puts the RiverDogs at 7-10 on the season and ties the series against the Nationals at one game apiece.
In the first inning, Charleston loaded the bases on an error and a hit by pitch but did not capitalize. In the second, they loaded them again and capitalized with the game’s first run via Connor Hujsak’s bases-loaded walk.
The Nationals answered back immediately in the bottom of the second. Nick Peoples tripled just past Hujsak’s outreached glove, and Nathaniel Ochoa Levya brought him home on a single to center field.
The game remained tied at one until the fifth inning, thanks in part to back-to-back scoreless innings for Jayden Voelker to close his start.
In the top of the fifth, Nathan Flewelling roped a double into left field, setting up a Woo Shin sacrifice fly that put Charleston up 2-1. The knock marked Flewelling’s first double in his professional career.
Once again, Fredericksburg tied the game in the next half inning.
Another stand-up triple, this time by Christian Vaquero, drove in the game tying run for the Nationals.
The RiverDogs bullpen settled in from there, allowing that one run on three hits, and one walk over six innings.
The RiverDogs regained the lead in the seventh inning and never looked back.
After a four pitch walk issued by Robert Cranz, Hujsak stepped up to the plate with no outs, and delivered the lead, blasting a two-run homer, leaving no doubt when it left his bat at 107 MPH.
The RiverDogs gained two insurance runs in the eighth.
A JD Gonzalez single brought in Ricardo Gonzalez and a fielding error by FredNats’ third baseman Jorgelys Mota allowed a second run to score to make it 6-2.
Alexander Alberto closed the game in the ninth. After a leadoff hit by pitch, he secured the win with a strikeout and a double play to put the Nationals away.
The series continues tomorrow evening, with first pitch scheduled for 6:35pm.