Sep 6, 2014 2 min read

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Looking for their first postseason win since 2007, the Wild Things turned Saturday night to left-handed pitcher Zac Fuesser.

Fuesser delivered as the fifth-seeded Wild Things defeated the fourth-seeded Evansville Otters, 4-2, in a Frontier League wild-card playoff game at Bosse Field.

Washington advances to a best-of-three semifinal series against top-seeded River City. Game 1 is Monday (7 p.m.) at Consol Energy Park. River City will host Game 2 Wednesday and Game 3, if necessary, Thursday.

River City and Southern Illinois, the two division champions, received byes in the first round. Schaumburg defeated Lake Erie 1-0 in the other wild-card game Saturday and will play Southern Illinois in the semifinals.

Fuesser, who spent five seasons in the Pittsburgh Pirates system before signing with the Wild Things this spring, was coming off six shutout innings in his last start of the regular season. Against Evansville, he was equally as impressive. Fuesser allowed just four hits and one walk over 8 2/3 innings. He took a shutout into the bottom of the ninth inning.

Fuesser lost the shutout when Jeremy Nowak hit a two-run homer with two outs. Jonathan Kountis relieved him and got the final out for the save.

Evansville starter Preston Olson allowed two runs in seven innings. He struck out seven.

Shortstop Ryan Kresky had a pair of hits, including a solo homer that gave Washington a 1-0 lead in the fifth inning. Kresky played for Evansville last season but joined Washington in the offseason as the player to be named in a trade.

Garrett Rau’s double in the fifth inning drove in Austin Wobrock and gave Washington a 2-0 lead. The Wild Things made it 3-0 in the eighth when Danny Poma hit a leadoff triple and scored on a sacrifice fly by Carter Bell. Washington added an insurance run in the ninth on a wild pitch that allowed Jim Vahalik to score from third base.

The Consol Energy Park box office will be open Sunday.