ROME, GA – The Frederick Keys split a road doubleheader against the Rome Emperors (Braves) Saturday night, losing game one by a score of 10-1 and winning game two in eight innings by a score of 3-2 in eight innings at AdventHealth Stadium.
The Keys rallied back during game two of the doubleheader by winning it in extra innings for the sixth time this season, securing them the series win and giving them six wins in total in the first eight games of the nine-game road trip.
Game 1:
Rome struck first with a run in the bottom of the first inning off a throwing error by Frederick, giving the home team an early 1-0 lead through the first inning to begin the afternoon.
After Keys starting pitcher JT Quinn struck out the side in the bottom of the second, he followed that up with a 1-2-3 bottom of the third, keeping it a 1-0 game heading into the third in game one of two.
Frederick tied things up at one apiece in the top of the fourth on an RBI single from RJ Austin, but the Emperors responded with a three-spot in the bottom frame, handing Rome a 4-1 lead approaching the fifth inning of play at AdventHealth Stadium.
The Emperors plated home five runs in the bottom of the fifth to increase their lead up to eight at 9-1, as the Keys looked for a late rally in game one of their first road doubleheader of the season.
Rome added one more run in the bottom of the sixth on an RBI sacrifice fly, but Jacob Cravey retired the last three of the frame in order, taking the contest to the seventh with the home team leading 10-1.
Despite putting two runners on base in the top of the seventh, Frederick went scoreless in the last frame, falling to the Emperors in game one of the doubleheader by a score of 10-1 on Saturday.
Game 2:
After both sides went off the board to begin game two, Carson Dorsey worked a 1-2-3 bottom of the second with a pickoff and a throw-out to second base getting two of the three outs. This kept it at a 0-0 game heading into the third in Rome.
The Emperors took an early lead in the bottom of the third on an RBI double with two outs, giving the home team the 1-0 advantage approaching the fourth at AdventHealth Stadium.
Frederick however responded with a two-run top of the fifth inning thanks to a wild pitch that scored Yasmil Bucce from third and an RBI single from Colin Yeaman, making it a 2-1 lead for Frederick going into the sixth during game two following a scoreless bottom frame thrown by Trent Turzenski.
Rome knotted things up at two apiece in the bottom of the sixth on a throwing error by the Keys, but Braeden Sloan escaped the jam and left two men on base, taking the game into the seventh tied at two apiece.
Sloan got out of another jam in the bottom of the seventh with a scoreless innings, forcing a top of the eighth and extra innings with the score tied at two.
In the top of the eighth, Victor Figueroa delivered the Keys the 3-2 lead on an RBI sacrifice fly to left, giving Frederick the one-run lead heading into the bottom of the eighth inning.
From there, Chandler Marsh retired the side in order to close out the ballgame, securing the series win for Frederick and a doubleheader split, winning game five of the series by a score of 3-2.
The series finale between the Keys and Emperors is set Sunday afternoon, with first pitch set for 1 p.m. from AdventHealth Stadium in the final game of the nine-game road trip for Frederick.