SALEM, VA - The Fredericksburg Nationals improved to 2-1 in the series and 32-36 overall with a 6-3 victory over the Salem Red Sox (1-2, 27-40) on Sunday at Carilion Clinic Field, earning a split in Salem and securing a winning record on their 12-game road trip. The Fredericksburg Nationals struck early, scoring twice in the first inning off Salem starter Steven Brooks. Nate Ochoa, who had struggled to start June, delivered a key two-out, bases-loaded single to left that brought home Francesco Barbieri and Nick Peoples, giving Fredericksburg a 2-0 lead.

Salem responded in the first two innings against the Fredericksburg Nationals starter Angel Roman, tying the game at 2-2, highlighted by a 430-foot home run from Enddy Azocar. Roman settled in after that, tossing scoreless innings in the third, fourth, and fifth, and finished his outing having allowed just three hits.

Yoander Rivero put Fredericksburg back in front with his first career single-A home run, a shot over the 27-foot wall in left field, making it 3-2 FredNats. The game remained tight until the eighth, when Ochoa came up again with two on and two out. He launched a three-run homer to center, a 410-foot blast that extended the FredNats’ lead to 6-2.

Salem managed to score once more, but Robert Cranz closed the door in the ninth, retiring the side in order to seal the win. With this result, Fredericksburg finished their road trip with seven wins, matching their total from their first five road trips, and returned home with a winning record. Angel Roman earned the win to move to 2-5, Steven Brooks took the loss to fall to 2-4, and Cranz collected his eighth save.

The Fredericksburg Nationals are off on Monday before returning home to face the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers in a six-game series starting Tuesday at 6:35 p.m.