Fredericksburg Nationals win Carolina League championship

Fredericksburg, VA - The Fredericksburg Nationals captured the 2024 Carolina League title dramatically, defeating the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers in a rain-shortened doubleheader last night in Fredericksburg.

In the series' deciding game three, the Fredericksburg Nationals turned to their ace, Travis Sykora, who was recently named the Carolina League Pitcher of the Year. Sykora delivered a masterful performance, tossing five scoreless innings and striking nine batters. His dominance on the mound was key to the Fredericksburg Nationals' victory.

“He did what he’s done all year,” Lowery said of Sykora via the Free Press, who recently took home both Carolina League and Washington Nationals organizational pitcher of the year honors. “It’s awesome to watch. He did exactly what we wanted. … Five innings, no runs and gave us a chance to win.”

The Fredericksburg Nationals jumped out to an early lead in the second inning. With one out, Caleb Lomavita reached base on a single, setting the stage for Brandon Pimentel. Pimentel wasted no time, launching a two-run home run over the left field fence to give the Fredericksburg Nationals a 2-0 advantage.

Kannapolis threatened in the third inning, but a heads-up play by Cristhian Vaquero at second base helped to keep the Cannon Ballers scoreless. Vaquero made a diving stop on a ground ball and quickly threw out the runner, trying to stretch a single into a double.

Sykora continued to cruise on the mound, retiring the next eight Kannapolis batters in a row. His performance was exceptional, as he faced the minimum number of batters in his five innings of work.

In a post-game interview with the Fredericksburg Free Press, Fredericksburg Nationals manager  Jake Lowery said: "Playing complete games was our playoff focus...Good pitching, good defense, and timely hitting. … We did it.”

In the sixth inning, the Fredericksburg Nationals added an insurance run. Jorgelys Mota reached base on a double and scored on a ground ball by Nate Ochoa. The extra run provided breathing room for the Nats and made it more difficult for the Cannon Ballers to mount a comeback.

Brandon Pimentel, the Fredericksburg Nationals' offensive catalyst this season, provided the only run support Travis Sykora would need. Leading the team in categories like on-base percentage (.329) and RBIs (85), Pimentel wasted no time in the second inning. Facing Mason Moore, he crushed the first pitch he saw over the right-field fence for a two-run home run.

“He’s been consistent all year,” Lowery said of his first baseman. “For him to be snubbed in [Carolina League] postseason all-star voting, it’s a shame, because he’s meant so much to our team this year.”

Anthony Arguelles, who led the Carolina League in saves during the regular season, pitched the seventh and final inning. Arguelles retired the side to secure the championship for the FredNats.

The victory marked the club's first championship since moving to Fredericksburg and the franchise's first title since 2014. It was a hard-fought series that showcased both teams' talent and determination, but in the end, the FredNats proved to be the superior team and deserved champions.