Sports
RiverDogs Emerge with 6-5 Victory in Dramatic Finish
Fredericksburg, VA – Fredicksburg Nationals left fielder Andry Arias misplayed Carson Williams’ fly ball to left in the top of the ninth inning, allowing the Charleston RiverDogs to claim a 6-5 comeback win on Friday at Virigina Credit Union Stadium. The RiverDogs trailed 4-1 entering the seventh inning. The victory assures the RiverDogs of finishing with a winning record on theri 12-game road trip.
Oneill Manzueta hit a solo home run to lead off the seventh inning that trimmed the Charleston (12-7) deficit to 4-2. In the eighth inning, Mason Auer worked a walk to start the frame and promptly scored on an RBI triple from Williams to the gap in right-center. Williams was thrown out at the plate on Willy Vasquez’s chopper to third. However, Freddvil Chevez gave the RiverDogs their first lead of the night by lining his first home run of the season out of the stadium.
Fredericksburg (13-6) immediately came back to tie the game in the bottom fo the eighth. Branden Bossiere worked a leadoff walk from Austin Vernon to open the inning. The reliever retired the next two hitters with Bossiere remaining at first. Geraldi Diaz then hit a line drive to center field that Auer could not corral as the tying run scored. Jack Snyder emerged from the bullpen and finished the inning by striking out Andry Arias.
Dawson Dimon reached on an error to start the final frame and was replaced by pinch-runner Shane Sasaki. Sasaki stole second base with one out and scored the decisive run when Arias overran Williams’ fly ball toward the left field corner.
In the bottom of the ninth, Snyder allowed a sinlge to Viandel Pena that opened the inning. Jacob Young then bunted the tying run into scoreing position. Snyder regrouped to pop up Drew Millas in foul ground and slammed the door by striking out Brady House looking on a 3-2 pitch.
For a second consecutive night, the game was scoreless entering the bottom half of the fourth before the FredNats jumped ahead. With one out, Bossiere walked and Jeremy De La Rosa singled off of Ben Peoples. Sammy Infante followed with an RBI single to center and a second run scored on a throwing error by Auer on the play.
The RiverDogs scored their initial run on Dawson Dimon’s RBI single in the fifth inning. Fredericksburg countered with Infante’s league-leading seventh home run in the bottom half to grab their 4-1 advantage.
The RiverDogs seven hits were tallied by seven different players. The Nationals received two hits from both Infante and Pena. Jelfry Marte extended his hitting streak to 11 games with a double. Sasaki has stolen a league-leading 15 bases without being caught.
Snyder earned the win on the mound with 1.1 scoreless innings. Vernon turned in 3.2 innings of work and allowed two runs on three hits. Peoples was dominant until the fourth inning, ending his night having dealt 4.0 innings with seven strikeouts. The right-hander surrendered three runs on three hits.
The fifth game of the series is set for 6:05 p.m. on Saturday night. RHP JJ Goss (0-0, 1.50) will start on the hill for the RiverDogs. Fredericksburg will hand the ball to LHP Dustin Saenz (1-0, 4.50).
Single-game tickets are available for all RiverDogs home games at riverdogs.com. RiverDogs season tickets, flexible ticket plans, and group tickets, including options to the Segra Club at Riley Park, are available at riverdogs.com/tickets or by contacting the RiverDogs front office at 843-577-3647 (DOGS).