The Potomac Nationals hadn't seen a left-handed starter since the ides of April.

Apparently, absence made the P-Nats' bats' grow stronger.

With Salem lefty David Qualben on the mound Friday, the P-Nats batted around -- and then some -- in the first inning scoring six runs on three hits, two hit batters and two Avalanche errors. And that was only the beginning.

Potomac notched 14 hits on their way to an 11-5 Carolina League victory over the Avalanche on Friday at wind-burnished Salem Memorial Baseball Stadium.

The chill left fans and players alike shivering. The planned postgame fireworks show had to be cancelled because of safety concerns.

"It was brutal," said Avalanche manager Jim Pankovits. "It reminded me of Candlestick Park."

Pankovits was likewise left cold by his team's backtracking. Salem has gone 4-10 in the month of May, but had won two of its last four before Friday.

The Avalanche (16-23) committed four errors, allowing five unearned runs to score on Qualben's watch.

Qualben pitched just three-plus innings, allowing eight runs on six hits, a walk, two hit batters and a wild pitch.

"We've got to play a whole lot better," Pankovits said. "We've strung some half-decent games together. We took a huge step back defense-wise.

"But Qualben's got to throw better."

Matt Rogelstad got the P-Nats started with a two-run home run in the first inning. He later added two singles and drove in two more runs.

Seth Bynum drove in three runs with a double in that first-inning for Potomac (25-15).

The Avalanche mounted a comeback of sorts in the bottom of the first when P-Nats starter Adrian Alaniz temporarily lost his command of the strike zone. With one out, he walked Tim Torres and Jordan Parraz. Mark Ori singled to load the bases and, after Koby Clemens struck out, Jimmy Van Ostrand, hit a bases-clearing triple.

In a blink, the P-Nats' lead was halved. But the comeback was over.

"I thought in my mind we were back in the game with the three runs in the bottom of the first," Pankovits said. "But we weren't able to get anything going.

"They were able to tack on runs and we weren't able to."

Salem newcomer Travis Sweet led off the second with a single and was instantly caught stealing. Greg Buchanan, doubled and Jhon Florentino walked, but then Torres and Parraz struck out to start a string of nine straight outs for Alaniz, who'd remembered who he was and that the P-Nats have not lost with him on the mound.

Van Ostrand went 3-for-5 and Jhonny Florentino went 2-for-4 with two RBIs for the Avalanche. But Van Ostrand, Florentino, Buchanan and Raymar Diaz each had an error for Salem.

The teams, which combined for 26 hits, also combined for 20 strikeouts and nine walks. In spite of the 16 runs scored, 21 players were left stranded on base.

How the runs scored

Potomac first: Martinez doubled. Rogelstad homered, Martinez scored. Marrero was hit by a pitch by Qualben. Diaz reached on a fielder's choice, Marrero safe at second on a throwing error by Buchanan. Downs struck out. Baez flied out. Brown hit by a pitch by Qualben to load the bases. Bynum doubled, Marrero scored, Diaz scored, Brown scored. Peacock reached on an error by Florentino, Bynum scored. P-Nats 6, Avalanche 0.

Salem first: One out. Torres walked. Parraz walked. Ori Singled to load the bases. Clemens struck out. Van Ostrand doubled, Torres scored, Parraz scored, Ori scored. P-Nats 6, Avalanche 3.

Potomac fourth: Peacock singled. Martinez sacrifice bunted and reached on an error by Van Ostrand, Peacock went to second on the sacrifice and third on the error. Rogelstad singled, Peacock scored, Martinez scored. P-Nats 8, Avalanche 3.

Potomac sixth: One out. Rogelstad walked. Marrero doubled, Rogelstad scored. P-Nats 9, Avalanche 3.

Potomac seventh: One out. Bynum walked. Peacock struck out. Martinez doubled, Bynum scored. P-Nats 10, Avalanche 3.

Potomac eighth: One out. F. Diaz singled. Davis singled, F. Diaz to third. Baez singled, F. Diaz scored. P-Nats 11, Avalanche 3.

Salem eighth: One out. Van Ostrand singled. Quintero reached on a fielder's choice, Van Ostrand out at second. Sweet singled, Quintero to second. Buchanan singled to load the bases. Florentino singled, Quintero scored, Sweet scored. P-Nats 11, Avalanche 5.

POTOMAC SALEM

ab r h bi ab r h bi

Martinez 2b 5 2 2 1 Florentino 3b 4 0 2 2

Rogelstad dh 5 2 3 4 Torres ss 4 1 1 0

Marrero 1b 5 1 2 1 Parraz rf 4 1 1 0

Diaz cf 4 2 1 0 Ori dh 4 1 1 0

Davis 3b 5 0 1 0 Tellam dh 1 0 0 0

Baez rf 4 0 1 1 Clemens c 3 0 0 0

Brown lf 4 1 1 0 Van Ostrand 1b 5 0 3 3

Bynum ss 4 2 1 3 Quintero cf 5 1 0 0

Peacock c 5 1 2 0 Sweet lf 4 1 2 0

Buchanan 2b 4 0 2 0

Totals 41 11 14 10 Totals 38 5 12 5

Potomac 600 201 110 -- 11

Salem 300 000 020 -- 5

E--Peacock (3), Buchanan (5), Florentino (9), Van Ostrand (3), Diaz (1). DP--Salem 3. LOB--Potomac 10, Salem 11. 2B--Martinez 2 (5), Bynum (8), Marrero (6), Van Ostrand (6), Buchanan (8), Parraz (10). HR--Rogelstad (5). S--Martinez. CS--Sweet (1).

IP H R ER BB SO

Potomac

Alaniz W, 5-0 5 5 3 3 3 7

Martinez 3 3 6 2 2 1 4

Wilkie 1 1 0 0 1 0

Salem

Qualben L, 1-6 3 6 8 3 1 2

Abreu 2 2-3 3 1 1 1 3

Dominguez 1 2-3 4 2 2 1 3

Diaz 1 2-3 1 0 0 0 1

WP--Qualben, Abreu. HBP--Marrero (by Qualben), Brown (by Qualben), Diaz (by Abreu).

Umpires--Segal, home; Soucy, bases.

T--3:15. A--4,469.