May 25, 2023 3 min read

When you’re a scuffling baseball team, this is the kind of game you lose.

For a Wild Things team that had lost four games in a row, the sight of a fly ball hit by Florence’s Ray Zuberer soaring over the right-field wall in the first inning Thursday night had to be discouraging.

After all, Zuberer’s home run was a grand slam and it gave the Florence Y’alls a 4-0 lead only four batters into the game.

It could have not been a worse beginning for Washington, or for starting pitcher Stephen Knapp, but there were nine innings remaining and the Wild Things were determined to use them to their advantage.

The Wild Things were able to pull even at 5-5 in the third inning, and again at 7-7 in the sixth before taking their first lead of the night at 8-7 in the seventh.

Florence, however, showing more fight than could have been expected, responded by scoring two runs on an opposite-field double by Craig Massey in the top of the eighth and completed a series sweep with a 9-8 victory.

It was Washington’s fifth consecutive loss as its record dropped to the .500 mark at 6-6.

The pivotal top of the eighth began with Washington reliever Andrew Mitchell walking former Wild Things center fielder Cole Brannen, who had a huge series against his old team. Harrison DiNicola, who was activated off the injured list earlier in the day, followed with a walk. Massey then grounded a double down the left-field line, allowing Brannen and DiNicola to score and giving Florence a 9-8 lead.

Washington had runners on first and second in the bottom of the eighth but could not score. In the bottom of the ninth, Harrison Ray drew a leadoff walk against Florence closer Brandon Mason. Ray, however, was thrown out trying to steal second base. A strikeout and groundout ended the game.

Joe Dougherty (2-0) was the winning pitcher with 2 1/3 innings of relief.

Knapp was making his first start after beginning the year in the bullpen and tossing 6 1/3 scoreless innings over three relief appearances. A starting pitcher last season, Knapp gave up eight hits and six runs over 3 1/3 innings against the Y’alls.

Washington scored four runs in the third to tie, but Florence went ahead again in the fourth on a solo home run over the video board in right field by Brannen, who went 8-for-10 in the series.

The Ya’lls made it 7-5 with a run in the fifth off reliever Zach Blankenship, who pitched well over 2 2/3 innings.

Washington scored single runs in the fifth and sixth to tie, then grabbed its first lead at 8-7 in the seventh when Ray doubled to the wall in left centerfield, advanced on a sacrifice bunt by J.C. Santini and scored on Nick Gotta’s sac fly. It was the Wild Things’ third sacrifice fly of the game.

Washington outhit Florence 12-11 with no Wild Things player collecting more than two hits.

Notes

Washington hosts the Tri-City ValleyCats for a three-game weekend series beginning Friday night. Spencer Johnston (1-0, 1.80) will pitch for the opener.