Frederick, MD- The Frederick Keys picked up their first series sweep of the 2024 season Sunday afternoon, after taking down the Williamsport Crosscutters 12-2 at Nymeo Field at Harry Grove Stadium.
The Keys scored nine runs in the final two innings of offense to hand them their fifth win of the season and their third one at home heading into a two-game road series beginning on Tuesday against the Trenton Thunder.
After both teams went scoreless in the first inning, Cam Clayton (Washington) gave the home team a 3-0 lead through the second on a three-run homer, giving Frederick the three-run advantage going into the third at Nymeo Field at Harry Grove Stadium.
Following a scoreless third inning on both sides, Williamsport scored one run in the top of the fourth on an error, but a strikeout from Cooper Foster (Central Arizona) ended the inning with the Keys still ahead by two entering the fifth, as the Keys pitching staff held strong in the middle innings.
Jacob Gomez (Old Dominion) tossed two innings of scoreless relief in the fifth and sixth innings and despite his offense in Frederick not scoring during that time, he kept his team ahead with good command, taking the game into the seventh with the home team still ahead by two at 3-1.
In the bottom of the seventh, the Keys took one of their largest leads of the day after scoring four runs of in the frame following an RBI double from Brody Fahr (Presbyterian) and a two-RBI single from Royce Clayton Jr. (LA Valley College). An error also plated home the fourth run of the frame, handing the home team a 7-1 lead entering the eighth in Frederick.
Even with Williamsport scoring one run in the top of the eighth, the Keys responded with five more runs in the bottom of the eighth off bases loaded walks drawn by Justin Thomas (Florida Southwestern State) and Clayton Jr.
The inning was capped off by RBI singles from Daylan Pena (Texas St) and Irvin Weems (San Diego St), bumping the lead to 10 at 12-2 with the contest approaching the ninth at Nymeo Field at Harry Grove Stadium.
Valek Cisneros (Central Oklahoma) pitched a scoreless ninth, with the game being capped off by a diving catch in left from Clayton Jr., securing the victory and the two-game sweep for the Keys over Williamsport.
The Keys head back on the road for a two-game series against the Trenton Thunder, with the series set to start Tuesday night. First pitch from Trenton on Tuesday is set for 7 p.m.
