FREDERICKSBURG, Va. (WNCT) — If Tuesday’s series opener with Fredericksburg was only seven innings, the Down East Wood Ducks would be celebrating a win.
However, Fredericksburg scored all of its runs in the final two innings for a 4-3 victory at Virginia Credit Union Stadium. Down East (11-10) led 3-0 before the Nationals (8-13) scored two in the eighth inning and two in the ninth to win it.
Brenner Cox hit his first homer of the season to put Fredericksburg on the board in the eighth. Later in the inning, Armando Cruz scored on a balk with Elijah Green batting, cutting Down East’s lead to 3-2.
In the ninth, Johnathon Thomas singled in Zion Pettigrew and Murphy Stehly on an 0-1 pitch to end it for the Nationals.
Down East’s Jackson Kelley (1-1) was tagged with the loss and blown save. Joseph Montalvo, who was named the Carolina League Pitcher of the Week on Monday, came on in the fourth inning and gave up the first two runs on two hits with four strikeouts and a walk.
The Wood Ducks got on the board first in the second inning and added to their lead in the fourth on an RBI single by Miguel Villarroel that scored Andres Mesa. Gierder Figuereo reached on a throwing error in the seventh that allowed Ian Moller to score to give Down East a 3-0 lead.
The two teams play Game 2 of their series Wednesday at 7:05 p.m.
