ROME, GA – The Frederick Keys earned their fourth straight win and their second victory in a row over the Rome Emperors (Braves) Wednesday night, winning by a score of 13-8 in game two of the six-game series at AdventHealth Stadium.
The Keys began the night with a seven-run top of the first inning and never looked back enroute to the win, as they finished with 13 runs on 12 more base hits to take down Rome for the second straight night.
Frederick picked up where it left off from Tuesday night with a seven-run top of the first inning, with two-RBI singles from Wehiwa Aloy and Braylin Tavera bringing home four of the seven runs.
Additionally, an RBI groundout from Yasmil Bucce and a two-run homer from Edwin Amparo put the lead up for the Keys to seven, and Rome only got one run in the bottom frame to make it a 7-1 game heading into the second.
A throwing error from Rome bumped up the Frederick lead to seven after Aloy scored from third during the top of the second, making it a 8-1 game approaching the third inning from Rome.
Braylin Tavera hit his second homer of the series in the top of the third and after another two-RBI base knock from Aloy, this put the score at 11-1 in favor of the visiting team in Frederick heading into the fourth in the Peach State.
The Emperors responded with a five-run bottom of the fourth capped off by a three-run homer, cutting the deficit to five at 11-6 going into the fifth at AdventHealth Stadium.
A fifth RBI for Aloy gave Frederick a 12-6 lead during the top of the fifth, and a scoreless bottom frame thrown by Ben Vespi kept it a six-run game after five innings of play Wednesday night.
Cameron Foster recorded a 1-2-3 bottom of the sixth inning in his first outing as part of his Minor League rehab assignment with Frederick, taking the game into the seventh with the Keys still up 12-6.
The Keys answered back with a solo homer in the top of the seventh from Reed Trimble, but back-to-back homers for Rome made it a five-run game at 13-8 approaching the eighth in Georgia.
Following a scoreless eighth inning for both sides and a scoreless top of the ninth, Braeden Sloan entered the game for Frederick in the bottom frame and retired the side in order, securing the win for Frederick by a score of 13-8 on Wednesday night.
Game three of the series between the Keys and Emperors is set for 6:45 p.m. on Thursday night from AdventHealth Stadium, in what will be game six of the nine-game road trip for Frederick.