FREDERICKSBURG, VA - The Fredericksburg Nationals had their way once again with the Delmarva Shorebirds on Friday night. The FredNats offense put up double-digit runs for the third time this season. The FredNats didn't need a hit to grab an early lead, as Delmarva starter Esteban Mejia's wildness did the work in a three-run first inning at Virginia Credit Union Stadium.
The cushion was all that Nats no. 16 prospect Miguel Sime Jr needed to bounce back from a six-walk outing last time out against Hill City. The 18-year-old flame thrower started to dominate as the game went on, striking out the side in the third and fourth. Sime faced the minimum in four no-hit innings and struck out a career-high and FredNats season-high nine.
Eli Willits led off the bottom of the first with a walk and promptly swiped second base, his 11th steal of the young season. The Nationals top prospect was walked four times for the second time this series. After Luke Dickerson also drew a walk, a throwing error by Delmarva catcher Juan Ortega on Willits steal of third allowed the FredNats top prospect to race home for a 1-0 lead. Yeremy Cabrera kept the line moving with another walk, loading the bases, and a wild pitch from Mejia plated Dickerson to make it 2-0. A balk later pushed across a third run, and the FredNats had a 3-0 cushion before recording a single hit.
The FredNats continued to find success offensively in the bottom of the third. A single, walk, and hit by pitch loaded the bases for Nick Hollifield, who picked up his first two RBIs of the season with a base hit up the middle. In the fourth, Willits used his speed once again to create offense, drawing a walk, then scoring on a throwing error to give the FredNats a 6-0 lead. In the fifth, Hollifield walked, then scored on a wild pitch to put the FredNats up 7-0.
The FredNats offense kept rolling as the game went into the sixth inning. Jack Moroknek doubled to left field to drive home Coy James. That was the team's only extra-base hit. Nick Peoples then brought home Jacob Walsh and Moroknek on a single to right to put the FredNats up 10-0. Every member of the FredNats lineup reached base at least twice.
RHP Isaac Lyon, who came to the Nationals in the Jose A. Ferrer trade with Seattle, put together his best outing of the season out of the bullpen. He got his outs much differently than Sime Jr, with just two strikeouts, but allowed no hits and walked just one. The Nationals' 10th-round pick was incredibly efficient with just 44 pitches in four innings.
The Shorebirds finally scored their first runs of the game in the ninth, but it was too little, too late. The FredNats move to 8-5 with the win and continue to stay over .500, a mark they’ve been above all season since their opening day win. Fredericksburg looks to clinch the series with a win Saturday night at 6:35 ET against Delmarva. Nats no. 10 prospect RHP Landon Harmon gets the start against RHP Christian Rodriguez.