Jul 29, 2015 6 min read

If the Wild Things could figure out how to schedule a doubleheader every five days and start pitcher Luke Wilkins, then they might climb back into the Frontier League playoff race.

Four times this season Washington has played a doubleheader and sent Wilkins to the mound as its starting pitcher. All four times, Wilkins produced a stellar outing. And in all four games, the Wild Things came away with a 2-1 victory.

The latest nail-biter came Wednesday night in the opener of a twinbill against the River City Rascals at Consol Energy Park. Washington scored the game-winning run in the bottom of the seventh inning when Austin Wobrock raced home from third base on a fielder’s choice grounder by Matt Ford against a five-man infield.

River City won the nightcap 6-1 as lefty Lucas Laster, a rookie out of Mississippi State, threw a two-hit complete game with a career-high 12 strikeouts.

Wilkins said he didn’t know about the 2-1 doubleheader streak but added, “I only have one or two wins in those games.”

Though Wilkins continued the run of 2-1 victories, he wasn’t able to cash in by getting credited with a win against the Rascals. He did, however, go a long way in filling out the deposit slip on a victory. Wilkins pitched six innings, giving up one run, scattering six hits and walking five. He worked out of several jams by giving up only one hit with a runner in scoring position. The hit did not produce a run.

With the score tied 1-1 in the sixth and River City’s Jackson Slaid on second base with two outs, Zach Kometani lined a single to right field. Slaid tried to score on the play but was thrown out on a strong throw from Washington right fielder Scott Kalamar to catcher Maxx Garrett, who entered the game as a pinch-hitter a half-inning earlier.

“Luke battled through some early wildness, which was uncharacteristic of him,” Washington manager Bob Bozzuto said. “I think he was trying to make the perfect pitch with (River City) coming in here leading the league in hitting. He was trying to be too exact.”

That was the last batter Wilkins faced as Steve Messner (2-1) pitched a scoreless seventh inning for the win.

Wilkins wasn’t unhappy with his outing but knew it could have been smoother. He thought home-plate umpire Kirk Domanick had a small but consistent strike zone.

“I pitched just well enough,” Wilkins said. “The plate umpire had a tight zone. I had five walks and five strikeouts. If I could have gotten a couple of calls on 3-2 pitches, then I could have had eight strikeouts and two walks. I would have been happy with that. A tight zone makes it tougher for a guy like me, who is not going to throw 95 (mph).”

Wilkins, who has a 1.50 ERA in his four starts in doubleheaders, said he has to change his style of pitching in seven-inning contests.

“I have to use more of my repertoire early,” Wilkins explained. “In a nine-inning game, I try to pound the strike zone early with the fastball. In these seven-inning games, if you give up one or two runs, then you’re out of the game early.”

With the score tied 1-1 in the bottom of the seventh, the Wild Things loaded the bases with no outs on a bloop double down the left-field line by Wobrock, a walk by Garrett, who was attempting to bunt the entire at-bat, and Danny Poma’s bunt single. Poma put a bunt down the third-base line but third baseman Tyler Ard and pitcher Will Schierholz collided while trying to field the ball and were unable to make a play on Poma.

River City then brought in reliever Derek Cape, the Rascals’ third pitcher of the inning. They also moved in Slaid, the right fielder, to become a fifth infielder.

Ford, who drove in both Washington runs, hit a chopper up the middle that almost split the two middle infielders. Shortstop Josh Silver was able to field the ball near the second-base bag, spun and threw home to catcher Josh Ludy in an attempt to retire Wobrock on a force play. Wobrock, who is one of the Wild Things’ fastest baserunners, was called safe on a bang-bang play.

Washington spent most of the night trying to overcome a first-inning solo home run to left field by Ard. It was the league-leading 20th homer of the season by Ard. Ford made it 1-1 when his triple scored Danny Poma.

A native of Sydney, Australia, Wilkins said he wasn’t bothered by the 89-degree temperature and high humidity at game time. He found it more comfortable than the low-60s temperatures the Wild Things experienced during spring training.

“I liked it,” Wilkins said. “I enjoy pitching in the heat. When it’s really hot, I think it works to a pitcher’s advantage. The hitters are out in the sun during batting practice and their energy level is down.”

Ard hit his 21st home run, a solo shot, in the third inning of the second game off Washington starter Jeremy Holcombe (1-1), who was making his first pro start. Holcombe gave up five hits and five runs in three innings. River City scored four times in the first inning.

Washington’s only hits against Laster (2-2) were a first-inning single by Sam Mende and David Popkins’ triple to lead off the seventh inning. Popkins scored on a single by Andrew Heck.

The split has River City (34-28) tied with Normal for the final two wild-card playoff spots. Washington (26-36) is eight games back of the Rascals and CornBelters with 34 games remaining.

“We’ve got to start getting hot,” Bozzuto said.

The Wild Things’ injury list has grown. Pitcher Matt Sergey was placed on the 7-day disabled list and pitcher Tyler Ferguson was added to the 14-day DL. Sergey had an MRI on his sore right shoulder Tuesday. To fill the roster spots, Washington signed right-handed pitchers Matt Fraudin (6-5, 225) and Matt Soren. Fraudin (6-5, 230) is an Upper St. Clair native and rookie out of Gardner-Webb University. He had a 17-22 career record for the Bulldogs. This spring, Fraudin was 4-5 with a 4.00 ERA and struck out 109 in 87 2/3 innings. Fraudin made his pro debut by retiring all three batters he faced in the sixth inning of the nightcap. Soren was the Philadelphia Phillies’ 19th-round draft pick out of the University of Delaware in 2013.