Aug 11, 2018 2 min read

Carter McEachern’s bases-loaded single with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning drove in Roman Collins with the game-winning run as the Wild Things defeated Windy City 4-3 in the opening game of a doubleheader Saturday night.

Washington completed the sweep by winning the nightcap, 5-0, as Jacob Belinda, in his first start for the Wild Things, threw five shutout innings. Belinda (1-0) and Jesus Balaguer combined on a three-hit shutout.

Washington began the night with a half-game lead over second-place Joliet in the Frontier League’s East Division.

In the opener, Washington led 3-2 after six innings but the ThunderBolts used three hits off closer Zach Strecker (5-3) to tie the score in the seventh.

James Harris led off the bottom of the seventh with a double into the left-field corner and Collins followed with a single. Reydel Medina was intentionally walked to load the bases with no outs and Windy City almost got out of the full-blown jam. Harris was forced out at home plate when Hector Roa grounded back to the pitcher’s mound and Kyle Pollock, who hit a two-run homer in the second inning, struck out.

McEachern then lined the game-winner into right field on the eighth pitch of the at-bat against Windy City’s Devin Raferty.

Michael Austin allowed two runs (one earned) in six innings for Washington. He gave up three hits and one walk.

Windy City starter Zac Westcott (6-8) allowed eight hits in six-plus innings. The Frontier League leader in strikeouts, Westcott struck out five.

Pollock’s home run gave Washington a 2-0 lead but Windy City tied it in the third on a two-run double by Tim Zier. Ramsey Romano’s sacrifice fly gave Washington a 3-2 lead in the sixth.

In the second game, Washington scored four runs in the third inning and that was enough support for Belinda and Balaguer, a pair of recent acquisitions by the Wild Things. Belinda allowed two hits and two walks. He struck out six. Balaguer got the final six outs, five via strikeouts.

Mike Hill’s single, a double by Conner Simonetti and Brett Marr’s RBI single gave Washington a 1-0 lead. Medina and Hector Roa had run-scoring single to make it 3-0 and McEachern was hit by a pitch from Patrick Ledet (5-7) with the bases loaded to force in the fourth run.