Wild Things’ late rally falls short
POMONA, N.Y. – The New York Boulders took advantage of an error and a hit batsman to score four runs in the fifth inning and then held off a late rally to edge the Wild Things 4-3 Sunday night at Palisades Credit Union Park.
The fading Wild Things finished their 11-day road trip to New York and New Jersey with a 1-6 record and had two games rained out. They lost both games played against the Boulders.
New York scored its four runs off Washington starter Keven Pimentel (3-3) by sending nine batters to the plate in the fifth. The Boulders had only three hits in the frame, all singles. The inning started with a leadoff walk, which was followed by a single. Milton Smith Jr. then tried to advance the runners with a bunt but beat it out for an infield single that loaded the bases.
Jack Sundberg then grounded back to Pimentel, whose throw to home plate sailed over the head of catcher Trevor Casanova for an error as one run scored. Zach Kirtley followed with a two-run single. After a hit batsman, Ray Hernandez’s sacrifice fly made it 4-0.
Washington made it interesting late by getting a solo home run from first baseman Andrew Czech, his seventh of the year, in the seventh. Bralin Jackson added a two-run homer in the eighth to make it 4-3.
The Wild Things put runners on second and third with two outs in the top of the ninth but Tanner Keist earned his fourth save by getting a game-ending strikeout of Andrew Sohn.
Washington had only three hits – the two home runs plus a double by Grant Heyman – but had plenty of baserunners. New York pitchers issued 10 walks and hit a batter, and a catcher’s interference in the ninth inning put the potential winning run on base. The Wild Things stranded nine baserunners and had two caught stealing.