Aug 2, 2015 6 min read

Going, going, gone. The ball, the Florence Freedom’s one-run lead, the Wild Things’ struggles while playing the International Tiebreaker and Maxx Garrett’s hitting slump.

Garrett, the No. 9 hitter in Washington’s batting order, drove a fastball from Florence closer Ed Kohout over the wall in right centerfield with two outs in the bottom of the 12th inning for a game-winning two-run homer Saturday night as the Wild Things rallied to beat the Freedom 3-2 before 2,777 fans at Consol Energy Park.

As the ball carried over the wall at the angle in right centerfield, Garrett floated around the bases and was mobbed at home plate by his teammates. Even a water bucket and the mascot got in on the celebration.

It was the second consecutive night the Wild Things defeated the Freedom in walk-off fashion. Andrew Heck hit a run-scoring single Friday night with two outs in the bottom of the ninth as Washington won 4-3.

This time, it took a little longer, a little more sweat and an unlikely hero.

When Garrett stepped into the batter’s box to face Kohout (3-3), who gave up the game-winning hit for the second night in a row, he was, as they call it in baseball, due.

Make that long overdue for a hit.

Garrett’s last hit was July 10 at Rockford. Washington’s catchers, which includes Garrett, were on an unfathomable 0-for-40 skid. The last hit by a Wild Things catcher was July 17, a single by John Fidanza, who has been slowed by multiple injuries, against Normal in the first game after the all-star break.

Garrett might have been in slump, but he still knows what to do with a fastball when he sees one to his liking. There was little doubt about the game-winner when it left his bat.

“When he hit it, we all knew it was gone,” Washington manager Bob Bozzuto said. “That was a Maxx Garrett home run. He unleashed it.

“I am so happy for Maxx. He has worked his tail off. He has not had the offensive year he expected, but every person on this team is ecstatic for that kid. For him to hit that bomb … wow!”

Even Garrett knew it was a no-doubt home run.

“I thought so. I remembered that old feeling,” he said.

Though mired in slum that took his batting average below .200, Garrett has been working as hard as ever in batting practice, even doing extra work with hitting coach Andrew Davis. The key, Bozzuto said, is that Garrett never lost his confidence.

“What else can you do? You keep working hard,” Garrett said. “The good thing is I know the guys on the team have my back. … Hopefully, I’m trending upward now.”

Garrett’s homer capped in night in which Washington couldn’t buy a hit for six innings, rallied to force extra innings, squandered a golden opportunity to win in the 11th and then had to overcome a one-run deficit in the 12th.

Washington tied the score at 1-1 with a run in the seventh and then used some stellar relief pitching by Steve Messner, Matt Purnell land Jonathan Kountis (1-1) before the dramatic finish. The trio gave up one run over seven innings. Kountis, Washington’s closer, pitched the final three innings.

“Jonathan Kountis did a great job,” Bozzuto said. “He can probably count on one hand the number of times, as a closer, that he had to pitch three innings. He made some huge pitches.”

Florence took a 2-1 lead in the 12th, scoring a run without the benefit of a hit. Playing the International Tiebreaker – after the 10th inning, each half-inning begins with a runner on second base and no outs – the Freedom used a groundout by Daniel Fraga and a sacrifice fly by Zac Mitchell to drive in Steve Carillo.

That came a half-inning after Washington had a runner thrown out at the plate with no outs, then loaded the bases with one out and failed to score against Florence reliever Seth Harvey.

In the bottom of the 12th, Andrew Heck began the inning at second base and moved to third on a bunt by Austin Wobrock. With the Florence infielders drawn in, Matt Peters grounded out to second base with Heck forced to remain at third base. That set up Garrett’s game-winner.

Florence rookie starting pitcher Patrick McGrath made a name for himself this spring as a senior at Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn., by twice defeating NCAA national runner-up Vanderbilt. A crafty left-hander with excellent control and a sharp breaking ball, McGrath stymied the Wild Things for 5 2/3 innings. He gave up a leadoff single up the middle to Danny Poma, then retired 17 consecutive Washington hitters, including eight with strikeouts.

With Matt Sergey placed on the disabled list last week and Washington in the midst of six games in five days, the Wild Things were in need of another starting pitcher. They turned to rookie Matt Fraudin, an Upper St. Clair native, who made his first professional start. Fraudin was impressive. He gave up only one run on four hits and a walk over five innings. Fraudin struck out two in a 75-pitch outing.

The only run Florence mustered against Fraudin came in the fourth when Mitchell and Collins Cuthrell started the inning with consecutive singles and advanced on a sacrifice bunt by Andrew Godbold, the Freedom’s cleanup hitter. Sam Eberle followed with sacrifice fly.

It seemed like that one run might be more than enough for Florence as McGrath was dominant. The rookie, however, created a tight spot for himself in the sixth. Poma drew a two-out walk that ended the string of 17 consecutive batters retired by McGrath. Matt Ford followed with another walk and Florence manager Dennis Pelfrey opted to go to the bullpen, bringing in hard-throwing Pete Levitt, who ended the threat by striking out Sam Mende.

Washington got its second hit of the game when David Popkins singled leading off the seventh against reliever Jason Postill. Cody Herald bunted Popkins to second base and a wild pitch put the Washington right fielder on third base. Wobrock tied the score at 1-1 with a single through the left side of the infield.

“This is two great wins a row,” Bozzuto said. “We had a nice crowd and our guys love playing with people in the stands. You talk about a 10th man, it was huge for us in this game.”

Washington is 1-3 when playing the tiebreaker. It was only the sixth win by a home team in 17 tiebreaker games in the Frontier League. … Hitters for both teams seemed unhappy with the strike zone of home plate umpire Chuck Adya. Washington third baseman Carter Bell was ejected after arguing a strike call on an 0-1 pitch in the fifth inning. .. Florence catcher Matt Rubino is the son of former Waynesburg University football and baseball player Jim Rubino. His mother is a Carmichaels native. Rubino started and went 0-for-2.