May 25, 2018 4 min read

The first few weeks of each Frontier League season typically follow a familiar pattern: the pitchers get the best of the hitters.

Starting pitchers struggle more with pitch counts than the opposing batters and relievers rack up shutdown innings. Meanwhile, hitters work on the basics, like trying to pick up the spin on breaking pitches and try to learn the repertoire of opposing pitchers.

That’s in large part the reason the Frontier League’s hitters entered Friday night with an anemic .234 collective batting average. The Wild Things were worse, with a team average of only .223.

Maybe a game like Friday night is just what the Washington offense needs to get going.

The Wild Things had 12 hits, including two in the pivotal bottom of the ninth inning, and defeated Florence 4-3 in walkoff fashion.

After Washington let a late two-run lead slip away, Wild Things center fielder James Harris scored on a bases-loaded sacrifice fly by catcher Kyle Pollock in the bottom of the ninth for a 4-3 victory.

“We’re not a .223 lineup, not at all,” Pollock said. “I feel like we have the best lineup of hitters. It’s still early and everyone is still getting their timing back.”

Florence didn’t generate much offense for six innings against Washington starter Frank Trimarco, who took a shutout into the seventh and left leading 2-0 after giving up a leadoff single to Xavier Turner in the seventh.

Trimarco, in only his second start after beginning the season in the bullpen, allowed only four hits and did not walk a batter. He struck out four. To show how well Trimarco has done this season, he was charged with one earned run against Florence and his ERA actually went up to 1.08.

“I just try to put up zeros every single inning,” Trimarco said. “They had first and second with no outs in the fourth and I was able to get out of that inning with a couple of popouts. I think that was the turning point in the game. I started to loosen up after the third inning.”

The Freedom scored one run in the seventh and two in the eighth to tie the score at 3-3.

After Washington closer Zach Strecker (1-0) pitched a scoreless top of the ninth, the Wild Things won the game by sending five batters to the plate against three Florence pitchers in the bottom of the inning.

Harris, the Washington leadoff hitter, stroked a one-out single up the middle off Tyler Gibson (1-1) and Carter McEachern followed with a single up the middle, just out of the reach of diving Florence shortstop Austin Wobrock.

Florence brought in lefty reliever Mike Castellani, who was in spring training with the Wild Things, to face left-handed hitting Roman Collins. The Washington left fielder drew a walk on a 3-2 pitch to load the bases.

The Freedom then brought in Jonathan Tripp to pitch to Pollock, who jumped ahead in the count at 3-0. Two pitches later, Pollock hit a hard line drive to left field that sent Florence’s Brandon Pugh back and toward the foul line. Pugh made a nice catch but he had no shot to throw out Harris.

“I liked where our lineup was at going into the bottom of the ninth,” Washington manager Gregg Langbehn said. “Our guys look for Harris to be the guy in those type of situations.”

Harris had two hits including a triple, McCeachern had three singles and first baseman Reydel Medina led the offense by going 3-for-3 with a run and two stolen bases.

“I hope this is a game that can get our lineup going,” Langbehn said. “We’re still a little unsettled in some spots. Maybe all the rainouts and doubleheaders hurt us and got us out of rhythm. Hopefully, we’ve got that turned in the right direction.”