Jun 5, 2016 5 min read

If Wild Things manager Greg Langbehn designed a blueprint for the perfect game by his team, then it would have looked much like the performance Washington delivered Sunday afternoon.

There was center fielder Jamal Austin and right fielder David Popkins, the two Wild Things position players with experience at the Class AA level, looking every bit the part of experienced hitters. They combined to go 6-for-6 with four doubles and five RBI.

Designated hitter Logan Uxa, who was signed Saturday, got into the act by adding a double, scoring a run and driving in one. First baseman Jimmy Yezzo had three hits and drove in two runs.

Pitcher Trevor Foss, who had 13 wins in the Los Angeles Angels’ farm system, was tossing a shutout while setting a career high for strikeouts.

And they didn’t even have to play nine innings to get a win.

It all added up to an 8-0 victory for the Wild Things over the West Division-leading Evansville Otters at Consol Energy Park. The game was called after six innings because of rain.

Washington was able to avoid a series sweep. The Wild Things left 12 runners on base in a 3-2 loss Friday night and mustered only one hit before having a late rally fall short in a 7-5 loss Saturday.

“We didn’t swing the bats well for the first six innings Saturday, so I’d like to say there was some carryover from the end of that game to (Sunday),” Langbehn said.

When Austin and Popkins hit and draw walks – each drew a base on balls as the duo reached safely in all eight plate appearances – Washington has shown that it can be a formidable offense. That had to be what the Wild Things were thinking when they acquired Austin in a trade with Sussex County of the Can-Am League during the offseason.

“It was a pretty good pickup,” said manager of team operations Tony Buccilli. “Sussex County had hired a new manager and they were cleaning house.”

Austin, who is in his sixth professional season, was the Seattle Mariners’ 13th round draft pick out of Alabama-Birmingham in 2011 and has a .290 career batting average. He was the Mariners’ Player of the Year for High Desert of the Class A California League in 2013 as he batted .288, hit 10 triples and stole 44 bases. He played in 63 games in Class AA in 2014, stealing 19 bases.

“It’s not often that you can pick up a .290 hitter,” Buccilli said. “And he’s a good locker room guy. He’s trying to get back to affiliated ball.”

So far, Austin is batting only .257 with Washington but he leads the team with nine stolen bases – third in the Frontier League – and his ability to run down fly balls in center field evokes memories of former Washington standout Chris Sidick.

“He can definitely run,” Langbehn said of Austin. “He can run balls down in the gaps. I know he’s a little frustrated with what he’s done at the plate, but when he gets on it changes what we can do.”

Austin, an Atlanta native, drew a leadoff walk in the bottom of the first inning off Evansville starter Derrick penilla (1-2) and gave Foss the only run he would need by scoring on Popkins’ first double. Austin had a run-scoring double that capped a three-run second inning as Washington stretched its lead to 5-0. In the fourth inning, Austin doubled again and scored when Yezzo singled up the middle to make it 6-0.

Austin had single in the rainy sixth inning but was left stranded at second base.

“My goal is to get picked up and get back to affiliated ball,” Austin said. “It only takes one scout to like what he sees in you and gives you a chance. That’s why I keep playing. Anything is possible. The game is still fun for me.”

It was indeed fun Sunday for Popkins. In addition to driving in Austin with a double in the first inning, Popkins doubled again in the fourth inning to score Yezzo and Bryan Haar, making it an 8-0 score.

Foss, meanwhile, gave up only four hits and one walk. The closest Evansville came to scoring was in the sixth inning when Josh Allen, who had a big series for the Otters, tripled with one out. Foss, however, struck out Chris Breen and Nik Balog, the Nos. 3 and 4 hitters in Evansville’s lineup, to end the threat. Foss finished with a career-high nine strikeouts.

“Foss just throws strikes,” Langbehn said. “He’s not going to walk a lot of guys and he has three pitches he can throw for strikes. He’s competitive. He attacks.”

Because of Pennsylvania Rebellion games scheduled for Monday and Tuesday at CEP, the Wild Things are off until Wednesday, when they host East Division-leading Windy City in a doubleheader (6:05 p.m.). … Though they played only six innings, the Wild Things had a season-high 14 hits.