New Jersey routs Wild Things, 21-8
LITTLE FALLS, N.J. — The Wild Things will again have to wait for another night to clinch the Frontier League’s Northeast Division.
After rallying to beat Washington with two home runs in the ninth inning Tuesday, New Jersey wasted no time Wednesday, forging an early nine-run lead and cruising to a 21-8 victory at Yogi Berra Stadium.
New Jersey again won with home runs. Alex Kachler and Dalton Combs each hit two home runs and Justin Wylie added one. Kachler was batting only .167 with no home runs in 15 games before Wednesday. Combs went 3-for-4 with six RBI and Wylie was 4-for-5 with five RBI.
New Jersey’s 21 runs was one shy of the most ever allowed by the Wild Things in a game. They allowed 22 in a home loss to Windy City on Aug. 9, 2008.
The Wild Things entered the night with a magic number of 1 — either a Washington win or a Sussex County loss — to clinch the division title. Sussex County’s game at Tri-City was tied 1-1 in the third inning when heavy rain hit the Troy, N.Y., area, causing the contest to be suspended. That game will resume 4 p.m. today as part of a doubleheader.
Meanwhile, New Jersey jumped on Washington starter Alex Boshers (3-3) for three home runs, including two by Kachler, in the first three innings.
The Jackals led 9-0 after four innings before the Wild Things scored seven runs in the top of the fifth. The big inning started with a home run by Tristian Peterson and included a two-run single by Bralin Jackson.
Combs, however, hit his second home run of the game in the seventh inning off reliever Keven Pimentel and the Jackals tacked on 10 runs over the final two innings.
Though the Northeast Division winner will likely have the best record in the Can-Am Conference, the Wild Things will not have home-field advantage in the playoffs, if they win the division. Because of concerts scheduled for Sept. 17 and 18 at Wild Things Park, Washington has forfeited the home-field advantage and would host Games 1 and 2 of the best-of-5 playoff series against the Atlantic Division winner, either Quebec or Tri-City. Those games would be played Sept. 14 and 15. Tickets for those games are on sale.