Fredericksburg, VA - The Fredericksburg Nationals put together one of their best complementary performances of the season Thursday night, dispatching of the Delmarva Shorebirds, 8-2. FredNats pitching allowed a season low two runs and four hits, with the FredNats using just three pitchers through the full nine innings, also tying a season low.
After a first inning which saw Delmarva take a 1-0 lead and saw four straight hitters reach base, Alexander Meckley limited the damage, then found a groove. After the first, Meckley allowed just one baserunner (a single in the second) and no runs over his final four innings of work. In total, Meckley tied himself for the longest outing by a FredNat pitcher this season, and threw the longest start by a FredNat pitcher in 2026, going five innings.
On the offensive side, the FredNats got going in the second, with new roster addition Jordan Williams hitting a two-run home run in his first professional at bat. After adding another in the third, the home run ball appeared again, with Eli Willits hitting a home run for a second straight day and knocking one out of the park for the first time in his career, following his inside-the-park home run on Wednesday. The FredNats got another deep fly in the sixth, with Yeremy Cabrera moving into a tie for the team lead, blasting his third home run of the year to straightaway center.
In relief, Nolan Hughes appeared for the first time after being moved over from the rotation, producing his best professional outing. After allowing his first two hits and first earned run of the season in the sixth, Hughes struck out the next six Delmarva hitters and retired all eight he faced after the run, striking out seven in total in his three innings of work.
Taking an 8-2 lead to the ninth, Bryant Olson tossed a scoreless inning with two strikeouts to secure the win. With the result, the FredNats improve to 7-5 and continue to stay over .500, a mark they’ve been above all season since their opening day win. With a 2-1 series lead, the FredNats continue the home set Friday night against Delmarva, with RHP Miguel Sime Jr. facing RHP Esteban Mejia. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m.