Aug 29, 2018 2 min read

SCHAUMBURG, Ill. – For the first time since 2006 and ’07, the Washington Wild Things have qualified for the Frontier League playoffs in consecutive seasons.

Washington clinched its second straight playoff berth Wednesday night with an 8-6 victory over the Schaumburg Boomers.

Washington’s win, combined with Joliet’s split of a doubleheader at Traverse City, leaves the Wild Things with a 1 1/2-game lead over the second-place Slammers in the East Division with only four days remaining in the season.

Last year, Washington advanced to the postseason as a wild-card qualifier but lost in the opening round to Florence.

Carter McEachern hit a tiebreaking two-run single as part of Washington’s four-run eighth inning. Washington trailed 5-4 entering the eighth but tied it on a bases-loaded error by the Boomers. McEachern’s hit gave the Wild Things the lead and Ramsey Romano drove in an insurance run with a single.

Schaumburg got one of the runs back in the bottom of the eighth but Zach Strecker was brought in to get the final four outs for his 21st save.

Jesus Balaguer (1-0) pitched the seventh and was the winning pitcher.

James Harris hit a two-run homer in the third as Washington forged an early 4-0 lead. Schaumburg’s Clint Hardy homered to tie the score at 4-4 in the sixth and the Boomers took the lead at 5-4 with a run in the seventh.