The Frederick Keys ended their 2026 baseball season with a 7-5 loss to the Greensboro Grasshoppers (Pirates) on Friday, Sept. 11, at Nymeo Field at Harry Grove Stadium. Greensboro scored three runs in the top of the eighth inning to win Game 3 and claim the South Atlantic League North Division Championship.
The loss ended a season in which Frederick recorded 84 total wins, including a franchise-record 83 regular-season victories. The Keys took a 5-4 lead into the seventh inning before Greensboro rallied in the eighth.
Frederick Keys Build Early Lead
Both teams scored in the first inning. Ty Head drove in Frederick’s opening run with a sacrifice bunt, while Greensboro answered with a leadoff solo home run to tie the game at 1.
The Keys moved ahead in the second inning when Yasmil Bucce and Ryan Stafford each recorded an RBI single, giving Frederick a 3-1 lead. Greensboro’s Wyatt Sanford hit his second solo home run of the game in the third inning, cutting the margin to 3-2.
Greensboro Takes Control Late
The Grasshoppers regained the lead in the fourth inning with a two-RBI single. Frederick tied the game in the fifth when Randal Diaz recorded a fielder’s-choice RBI that brought Jaiden Lo Re home from third.
Andres Nolaya then put the Keys back in front with a pinch-hit solo home run in the sixth inning. It was Nolaya’s second pinch-hit home run in as many weeks and gave Frederick a 5-4 lead.
Neither team scored in the seventh, but Greensboro scored three runs in the eighth on a solo home run, an RBI single, and a groundout. The Grasshoppers took a 7-5 lead into the ninth inning.
Braeden Sloan threw a scoreless top of the ninth for Frederick, but the Keys could not score in the bottom half. Greensboro won Game 3 and secured the South Atlantic League North Division Championship.
Frederick Keys Set 2027 Opener
The Frederick Keys will open the 2027 season Friday, April 2, at Nymeo Field at Harry Grove Stadium against the Brooklyn Cyclones (Mets). Game times and ticket information for the 2027 season will be released in the coming weeks and months.
Maryland Sports Blog Take
Frederick’s season ended after the Keys built a 5-4 lead and Greensboro delivered the decisive three-run eighth inning. The 84 total wins and franchise-record 83 regular-season victories defined a strong 2026 campaign, even as Greensboro captured the championship in Game 3.
Source: Original report
