Notable Wins

6/2/02   Nationals 16, Kansas City Sluggers 17s 4 (Winnetonka HS, Kansas City, MO)
In what would be the first of his many memorable starts for the Midwest Nationals, 16 year old lefthander Scott Elbert, the future 1st round pick of the Los Angeles Dodgers, earned the organization’s first ever victory. Elbert went 5 innings, allowing 3 earned runs on 4 hits while striking out 10 batters. Aaron Spencer hit the first ever home run in organization history with his 3-run shot in 1st, while Chris Taylor and Matt Teale also added home runs for the Nats. 

6/28/02  Nationals 3, Memphis Tigers 2 (Gagliano Field, Memphis, TN)
This game was the featured game of the night and marked the first time the Nationals and the well established Memphis club played one another. Catcher Luke Lawver broke the scoreless tie in the 5th inning by knocking a double to right field that scored Johnny Wynne and Scott Elbert. Elbert turned in a strong outing on the mound going the distance allowing 2 earned runs on 6 hits with 4 strikeouts.

7/1/02  Nationals 7, Ontario Blue Jays 6 (Gagliano Field, Memphis, TN)
Easily the longest game the Nationals have ever played, the game was tied 6-6 after 4 innings and remained that way until third baseman C.J. Ketchum, who started the 15th inning with a single, scored on sac fly by centerfielder Johnny Wynne for the game winner. Jeff Claybrook, who relieved starter Aaron Spencer after 8 innings, pitched the final 7 innings for the victory. Amazingly, Claybrook no-hit the Blue Jays over than span issuing just 2 walks with 7 strikeouts.

7/6/02  Nationals 3, Kansas City Sluggers 0 (Baum Stadium, University of Arkansas)
Having already lost to the Sluggers top club two times early in the season (0-12, and 7-11), Nationals starter Aaron Spencer pitched what would be his first of three consecutive complete games by striking out 7 Sluggers and allowing only 3 hits.

6/2/03   Nationals 6, Rawlings Prospects 3 (GMC Park, Sauget, IL)
Behind lefthander Josh Fritsche’s solid outing, the Nationals were able to hold off the talented Prospects. The Nats grabbed the early lead against future 1st round draft pick and Prospects starter Max Scherzer in the 2nd inning on an RBI groundout by centerfielder Ryan Gotcher and a RBI single by catcher Kyle Evans. The Nats broke it open in the 6th when DH Scott Elbert’s triple into the right center gap drove in first baseman Bobby Spain who led the inning off with a double. Shortstop Matt Teale drove in Elbert for the third run of the inning with a sac fly. Fritsche pitched a complete game allowing 0 earned runs, and only 5 hits to go along with 5 strikeouts. The combined starting lineups for this game featured what would be 7 future minor league players (Nationals:  Bobby Spain, Blake Parker, Scott Elbert, Josh Fritsche; Prospects:  Lucas May, Blake DeWitt, Max Scherzer).

6/27/03  Nationals 6, Rawlings Prospects 5 (Barnhouse Field, Republic, MO)
By the 3rd inning the Prospects already had 8 hits and 3 earned runs on Nationals starter Scott Elbert. The Nationals tied the game in the 5th with 2 runs and took a 5-3 lead by scoring 2 more runs in the 6th inning. The Prospects tied the game with 2 unearned runs in the top of the 7th at 5-5.  The bottom of the 7th started with consecutive singles by Blake Parker and Ryan Gotcher. After a sac bunt moved the runners into scoring position and a hard ground out to short failed to score a run, second baseman Loren Storey beat out a surprise 2-out bunt down the 3rd base line that scored Blake Parker and the propelled the Nationals to the 6-5 win. Elbert found his rhythm after the 3rd inning and pitched a complete game allowing 3 earned runs on 10 hits with 10 strikeouts. Elbert also came up big at the plate going 2-3 with a double and 3 RBIs. 

6/17/04  Nationals 6, Houston Kyle Chapman 1 (Millard North HS, Omaha, NE)
Houston starting pitcher and University of Rice recruit Will McDaniel had a 1-0 advantage heading into the bottom of the 6th when Nationals catcher Jerrod White drove in Matt Lawson and Mike Hubbard who both singled ahead of White. The Nationals batted around in that 6th inning scoring 6 runs on 7 hits.  Nationals starter Chad Coldiron dominated a loaded Kyle Chapman club that featured 6 NCAA Division I signees (3 from Rice, 1 each from LSU, Auburn and Texas A & M) pitching a complete game allowing only the 1 earned run on 3 hits with 10 strikeouts.

7/30/04  USSSA 18U Major World Series, Franklin, TN
After picking up a win late in the evening the night before in the losers bracket, the Nationals reel off 4 victories in one day, defeating the Chapel Hill Panthers (GA) 10-3, the Twitty City Dodgers (TN) 12-5, and the Nashville Yankees 5-4 and 6-4 (5 wins in just over 24 hours) to advance to the final day.

6/29/05 Nationals 6, Ohio Warhawks 2 (Gagliano Field, Memphis, TN)
7/29/05 Nationals 7, Austin Slam 6 (Premier Senior Championship, Joe Becker Stadium-Joplin, MO)
In arguably the most exciting game the Nationals have ever played, the Nats knocked off the Slam in 8 innings in the quarterfinals of the Premier Senior Championship. 

6/22/07 Nationals 5, Bayside Yankees (NY) 3 (Louisville, KY – Bellarmine University)
Second baseman Eli Dykens broke up a 3-3 tie in the top of the seventh with a 2-out, 2-run single to leftfield that proved to be the final margin. Taylor Nichols earned the victory pitching 6 innings, allowing only 2 hits, 0 earned runs, 2 walks and 4 strikeouts. 

6/24/07 Nationals 6, East Cobb Yankees 4 (Louisville, KY – University of Louisville)
This game capped off an outstanding week for the Nats at the most competitive tournament we have ever put together. The Nats defeated the Kentucky Baseball Club 7-2, the Illinois Sparks 3-2, the Bayside Yankees (NY) 5-3, the Indiana Bulls 6-3, and to cap off the week defeated the East Cobb Yankees 6-4. Eli Dykens was 3-4 with a double and run batted in. Nate Booker added a 2-run bases loaded single in the 5th. Stephen Spirlock earned the win going 6 innings, allowing 3 hits, 2 runs, 2 earned runs, 3 walks, and 4 strikeouts.

7/7/07  Nationals 3, Austin Wings 2 (Smithson Valley HS, San Antonio, TX)
The Wings started a right hander (Wlecyck) a University of Oklahoma recruit who was reaching 94-95mph on the radar gun. He was paired with the Nats Stephen Spirlock who was on the short end of a 2-1 game after 6 innings. The Nationals started the top of the 7th with back-to-back strikeouts until Matt Hoffman hit a single into the hole just past the diving attempt of the Wings shortstop. The Wings then went to the bullpen for a left hander no doubt thinking of a left on left match up with catcher Chris O’Brien due up next. What the Wings coaching staff did know of was the fact that Chris is a switch hitter. O’Brien proceeded to hit the first pitch to him over the left center field wall for a 2-run walk off home run.

6/21 – 7/15/07 Nationals Win Streak Reaches 18
During this team record winning streak, the Nationals outscored their opponents by a combined score of 154-34 and were able to beat both the Bayside Yankees (NY) and East Cobb Yankees (GA) for the first time. During this 25 day run, the Nats recorded 4 shutouts and only once allowed a team to score as many as 5 runs in a single game.

7/19/07 Nationals 8, Arlington A’s 7 (Premier Senior Championship, Covington HS, Covington, LA)
The Nats jumped out to a 3 run lead in the 1st inning only to lose that lead and trail 7-5 heading into the bottom of the 7th inning. Eli Dykens led of the inning with a solo home run to get the Nats to within 2 runs. Chris O’Brien singled ahead of the red hot Ryan Engrav who blasted a walk-off home run that hit the light pole in deep left center on a hanging breaking ball.