Aug 17, 2018 2 min read

CRESTWOOD, Ill. – Lefty Patrick Ledet and three relievers scattered eight hits and the Windy City ThunderBolts defeated the Wild Things 3-2 Friday night in the opening game of a weekend series.

Washington squandered an opportunity to move back into a tie for first place in the Frontier League’s East Division. The Wild Things remain one game behind first-place Joliet, which lost 10-1 to Traverse City. Windy City is in last place in the East.

James Harris led off the game with a walk and scored on a Hector Roa single to give Washington a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning.

That was the only run Ledet (6-7) would allow. The Wild Things scored a single run in the seventh inning against reliever Joel Toribio. Ledet yielded five hits and struck out nine in six innings.

Windy City tied the score in the second inning against Washington starter Jacob Belinda (1-1), who began the inning by hitting a batter and then loading the bases with two walks. The ThunderBolts scored on a double play ground ball.

Windy City took the lead at 2-1 in the third on a run-scoring hit by Axel Johnson, and made it a two-run advantage in the fifth on a two-out RBI single by Blair Beck.

Belinda, making his second starter for Washington, pitched six innings, allowing six hits, three runs and six walks.

Washington defeated Windy City, 5-0, last Saturday night, in the first game of a doubleheader, with the same pitching matchup.

The Wild Things failed to capitalize on several scoring opportunities, including in the eighth inning when Harris led off with a double. He got to third with two outs but a strikeout ended the threat.

Devin Raftery retired the Wild Things in order in the ninth for his 14th save.