Aug 9, 2017 4 min read

The Schaumburg Boomers, who are running away with the Frontier League’s East Division title, owe a considerable portion of their success to impressive hitting. The Boomers entered a doubleheader Wednesday night against the Wild Things with a lofty .290 team batting average, which was second in the 12-team league and more than 40 points better than Washington’s team average.

The aptly named Boomers delivered at the plate in both games against Washington.

Sean Godfrey’s grand slam capped a six-run top of the seventh inning as Schaumburg rallied against closer Zach Strecker to beat Washington 8-4 in the opening game of a doubleheader Wednesday night at Wild Things Park.

In the nightcap, the Boomers picked up where they off in the opener, starting the game with four consecutive hits, including back-to-back homers by Zack Weigel and Davis Harris, and completed the sweep with a 3-1 victory.

The two wins pushed Schaumburg’s lead in the East to 12 games over second-place Windy City. The Wild Things fell to third place in the East, 12 ½ games behind the Boomers and a half-game out of the final wild-card playoff spot with 23 games to play.

The Wild Things led 3-2 entering the top of the seventh inning – each game of a doubleheader in the minor leagues are seven innings – of the opener and Washington called upon Strecker to replace starter Trevor Foss on the mound. Foss was in line for his league-leading 10th win but was lifted after throwing 99 pitches.

Foss worked out of jams in the early innings and allowed two runs on seven hits and two walks. He retired nine batters in a row at one stretch during the middle of the game.

The Boomers opened the seventh inning with three consecutive singles against Strecker to load the bases. Among the hits was a bunt single by Harris, the Boomers’ second bunt hit of the game.

John Holland’s grounder up the middle, which went for an error, allowed Kyle Ruchim to score and tie the game at 3-3. A bases-loaded walk to first baseman Rock Shoulders, who was signed earlier in the day after being released by Joliet, forced home Zack Weigel to give Schaumburg a 4-3 lead.

Godfrey then unloaded with his sixth home run, and Schaumburg’s fourth grand slam of the season.

Washington took a 2-1 lead in the second inning on the first home run of the season by third baseman Kenny Peoples-Walls. Kyle Pollock doubled and scored on a two-out single by James Harris that gave the Wild Things a 3-1 lead in the fourth inning.

Weigel scored on a sacrifice fly by Holland in the fifth to pull the Boomers to within 3-2.

Schaumburg’s four consecutive hits to begin the second game came off Washington pitcher Trevor Bradley (2-1), who was making his second professional start. After Ruchim, who had four hits in the opener, singled to begin the nightcap, Weigel homered to right field. David Harris followed with his 12th home run of the year to make it 3-0 and that was all the offense Schaumburg starter Joe Hauser (2-0) and two relievers needed.

Washington’s lone run came in the third when Peoples-Walls hit a leadoff single, stole second base and scored on James Harris’ two-out single.

Washington had Kane Sweeney at third base with one out in the fourth but could not drive him home, and had Rashad Brown at second base with one out in the sixth but again failed to advance the baserunner.

Hauser, who has battled back from a life-threatening skateboarding accident that left him in a coma last summer, pitched five innings and was followed on the mound by relievers Jake Joyce and Evan Boyd, the latter getting his first save.

The loss was the fourth straight for Washington and its sixth defeat in the last eight home games.

Washington left fielder Bralin Jackson hit a solo home run in the bottom of the seventh inning of the opener. … Wild Things infielder Mike Hill drew a walk in the sixth inning to extend his consecutive game on-base streak to 28 but that streak ended when he went 0-for-3 in the nightcap. … Schaumburg’s Kyle Westwood (2-0) threw two scoreless innings of relief to get the win in the opener. … Former Wild Things outfielder Stewart Ijames was released Monday by the Arizona Diamondbacks. Ijames was playing for Class AAA Reno.