FREDERICKSBURG, VA -

After Jake Bennett breezed through the first two innings, Branden Boissiere doubled to begin the bottom of the second for Fredericksburg. Daylen Lile smoked a double right after Boss, and the FredNats secured a 1-0 edge. Lile then swiped third base, putting him in position to score on a Paul Witt single making it 2-0 Freddies.

In the top of the fourth, Bennett issued a leadoff walk to Jackson Holliday, then allowed a double to Samuel Basallo, putting runners on second and third with no one out. A passed ball then let Holliday score, with Basallo taking third before Creed Willems singled to drive in Basallo, which tied the game at 2-2.

Neither Bennett nor his Shorebird counterpart Juan Nunez allowed a run in the fifth, as both starters completed five full innings of work. Bennett set a new season high on the afternoon with nine strikeouts, while Nunez struck out five FredNats.

The sixth inning came and went without a run, but Delmarva’s Max Costes singled with one out in the seventh. Adam Crampton doubled behind him to push Costes to third base before Douglas Hodo III plated both runners with a single to put the ‘Birds up 4-2. Basallo drove in another run later in the frame to make it 5-2.

Delmarva tacked on two more insurance runs in the eighth inning on RBI singles by Hodo III and Holliday.

After two quick outs in the bottom of the ninth, Sammy Infante and Paul Witt launched back-to-back home runs to nearly the same spot on the left field concourse, but the Shorebirds held on for a 7-4 win. Moises Chase won Delmarva, with Jose Atencio taking a loss on the day. Game three features Jarlin Susana on the hill for the Freddies against Jared Beck in a 7:05 start.