P-Nats Win One of Two Games Wednesday

By Will Flemming
For PotomacLocal.com

On a chilly Wednesday night, the Potomac Nationals did something that has not been a given early in this 2011 season: they completed a scheduled ballgame.

In fact, the P-Nats got two games in with the Winston-Salem Dash and were quite close to winning them both.  In the end, the P-Nats settled for a split of the twin bill and a salvaged win in the finale of the season’s second series.  The P-Nats finish their rain-shortened home stand with a 2-3 record and will head to Wilmington for the year’s opening road tilt.

In the nightcap, the P-Nats came back from a two-run deficit after two innings – and they used some unexpected names to do so.  After a Steven Souza triple opened the frame (Souza continued his red hot start to the season), back-to-back singles by Francisco Soriano and Chris Curran knotted the score.

The following inning, the P-Nats would take the lead for good.  Destin Hood’s two-out triple was cashed in when Steven Souza singled to right for his second hit of the game.  From there, the P-Nats bullpen took over.

Winston-Salem got no more hits and just two more base runners the rest of the way, as Josh Smoker and Pat Lehman locked up the victory and got the win and save, respectively.

On another night, the nightcap would have wrapped up a doubleheader sweep.  The P-Nats jumped out in front in the opening game.  Souza hit his third homer of the year, a massive shot to left field that staked the Nationals to a 2-0 lead.

Paul Demny was one pitch away from getting out of the sixth inning unscathed, but Winston-Salem rallied to tie the game.  When Demny hit Jared Mitchell in a 1-2 count with his 87th pitch, the righthander was lifted from the game.  Ryan Demmin then surrendered a game tying two-run blast to Ian Gac.

The Dash pulled ahead on a fluky play in the tenth inning – the third extra frame.  After Kyle Shelton singled and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt, Daniel Wagner’s grounder ricocheted off Carlos Martinez’s leg and into right field to drive in the eventual winning run.

By salvaging the last game, the P-Nats now have a season record of 2-3.  After an off day, Potomac heads up Interstate 95 to pay a three-game visit to their northern division rival Wilmington Blue Rocks. First pitch Friday is scheduled for 7:05 P.M.  Lefthander Danny Rosenbaum makes his second start for the P-Nats.

Will Flemming is the Director of Broadcasting for the Potomac Nationals.