Late lead slips away as FredNats swept at Lynchburg
Published Sunday, May. 9, 2021, 7:03 pm
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The Fredericksburg Nationals came close to securing their elusive first win in team history on Sunday afternoon, but four unearned runs in the seventh inning lifted the Lynchburg Hillcats to an 8-4 victory and a series sweep.
The FredNats (0-6) will head home and begin a 12-game homestand at brand-new FredNats Ballpark starting on Tuesday against the Delmarva Shorebirds.
FredNats fall in franchise opener against Lynchburg
The Fredericksburg Nationals got a few “firsts” out of the way in their debut game, but couldn’t secure their first win as they fell 16-3 to the Lynchburg Hillcats on Tuesday night.
The Hillcats slugged four home runs and took advantage of five Fredericksburg errors to claim the Opening Day victory. A pair of six-run frames, in the second and the eighth, gave Lynchburg starter Xzavion Curry and two relievers all the support they would need.
In the top of the first, Geraldi Diaz laced a two-out single to left field for the first hit in FredNats history. He was left stranded, however, and the Hillcats scored two runs off Leif Strom (L, 0-1) in the top of the first to jump out to an early lead. Strom struggled to find his command, issuing 4 walks and allowing 5 hits in 2.0 innings.