May 21, 2014 4 min read

Getting a home run every week or two from catcher Jim Vahalik or shortstop Ryan Kresky would be considered a bonus for the Wild Things.

Both Vahalik and Kresky are in the everyday lineup for what they do with their gloves, not their work with the bats.

Getting home runs in the same game from Vahalik and Kresky? Don’t even go there.

Vahalik and Kresky did Wednesday night, as each homered in the early innings to spark Washington to a 4-1 victory over the Frontier League Greys.

Vahalik hit a two-run homer that capped Washington’s three-run second inning against Greys starter Ryan Hartman (0-1). Kresky provided an insurance run in the third when he went the opposite way with a pitch, driving it over the left-field wall.

They were the first home runs hit at home this season by the Wild Things. For Vahalik, it was his seventh home run in more than 460 at-bats as a professional. And Kresky, though he hit seven homers as a rookie for Evansville last year, is 185-pounder who doesn’t have the body type that screams home-run hitter.

“If you had to pick the two guys to hit our first home runs of the year at home, Vahalik and Kresky would have been quite a quinella,” Washington manager Bart Zeller said.

The early blasts were enough support for Washington starting pitcher Shawn Blackwell (1-0) and two relievers. They combined on a six-hitter.

The only run for the winless Greys (0-5) came in the seventh inning when Joe Rapp led off with his second solo homer in as many nights.

Blackwell pitched as if the baseball was made of metal and home plate was a magnet. His pitches kept dropping through the strike zone and the Greys kept beating the baseball into the turf. Blackwell got 13 outs on ground balls and the Wild Things turned three double plays.

“We stressed getting ground balls and throwing first-pitch strikes,” Vahalik said. “When Shawn gets ahead in the count, then he’s dangerous.”

Washington opened the second inning against Hartman with consecutive singles by Stewart Ijames and Carter Bell. William Beckwith’s sacrifice fly scored Ijames with the game’s first run, and then Vahalik hit the first pitch he saw from Hartman deep to left field.

“It’s good to get one under my belt,” Vahalik said. “But this was a good team win. It was good to win a close one.”

Kresky waited a little longer in the count than Vahalik before driving a pitch from Hartman the opposite way. It carried over the head of left fielder Chris Ellison and then over the wall to give the Wild Things a 4-1 lead.

“As a shortstop, I’m out there mainly for my defense,” Kresky said. “Any offense I can add comes secondary. It is nice, though, to be rewarded with the occasional home run or two-run double.”

Blackwell was cruising until Rapp’s solo homer made it 4-1. It was the first hit Blackwell had allowed since the third inning.

Tyler Elrod pitched a scoreless eighth inning with the help of Washington’s third double play, and Jonathan Kountis pitched the ninth for his first save.

“Blackwell was very impressive,” Zeller said. “He was very different than he was last year. … Scoring a few runs early on home runs gives everybody a lift. It allows the pitchers to relax.”

Bill Buckner, who played in the major leagues for 22 years (1969-1990), will be at the ballpark signing autographs during tonight’s series finale and Friday’s game against the Rockford Aviators. He is one of only 29 players in major league history to play in four decades. .. Washington center fielder Danny Poma stole three bases and has five steals in as many games.