Sunday Afternoon in Fredericksburg

After four games of everything clicking on all cyclinders against the Wood Ducks, the FredNats machine faltered for a 10-4 loss in the series finale.

Seth Shuman got the nod over Travis “Sunday” Sthele to start, but the results were remarkably similar: Two runs in the 1st on four hits to dig a 2-0 hole after half an inning. His teammates got those runs back and then (*gasp*) gave him a lead as a Brandon Pimentel single, a Roismar Quintana walk, and an Earl Weaver Special off the bat of Marcus Brown—all with two out—made it 3-2 after one.

Both teams threatened in the second, but the game settled down as Shuman struck out the side in the 2nd, then pitched a 1-2-3 third to finish his de facto rehab appearance.

Alas, Travis “Sunday” Sthele was trotted out despite giving up runs in 10 of 12 appearances. Well, make that 11 of 13 as the Wood Ducks put three runs on his bill on a homer, triple, and a double-base, double-error to turn the 3-2 lead into a 5-3 deifict. He wobbled through two more innings, putting four more baserunners, but lost for the sixth time this season.

Meanwhile, Down East’s Wilian Bormie high-wired through four innings, issuing four more walks and hitting a batter while striking out six. Indeed, the Wood Ducks ‘pen only allowed one more on back-to-back singles in the 6th by Nick “Power to the” Peoples and Elijah Green, who also walked and… wait for it… struck out twice.

The FredNats ‘pen was no match. After a scoreless 7th by Matt Bollenbacher, Bubba Hall served up a solo HR in the 8th, and Merrick Baldo gave up four in the 9th to put the game away, lowlighted by a three-run HR with two out to make it 10-4. Fredericksburg went down in order in the 9th in the space of just a few pitches.

Despite the loss, Fredericksburg still took the series, 4-2 – its first series win since taking Charleston down by the same tally on May 7-12. Next up: a trip southwest to take on Salem for the first time this season.