East well-armed in all-star victory
Mark Marietta for the Observer-Reporter
Wild Things’ second baseman Scotty Dubrule gives his cap a kiss for luck before the start of the Frontier League All-Star game at Wild Things Park on Wednesday.
Mark Marietta/Observer-Reporter The Western Division's first batter, Washington's Nick Ward smiles as he opens the offense with a single in the Frontier League All-Star game at Wild Things Park on July 20.
Mark Mariatta?/Observer-Reporter Wild Things' first baseman Andrew Czech heads for first on the second inning single he hit for the Western Division All-Stars in the game at Wild Things Parek on July 20.
Mark Marietta/Observer-Reporter Wild Things' shortstop Nick Ward makes the throw to first after making a catch in shallow center during the Frontier League All-Star game in Washington on July 20.
Mark Marietta/Observer-Reporter Washington's Andrew Czech make the toss to the pitcher covering first and gets a third-inning out for the Western Division in the Frontier League All-Star game at Wild Things Park on July 20.
Mark Marietta/Observer-Reporter Wild Things' Rob Whalen pitched a scoreless first inning as the starter for the Western Division in the Frontier League All-Start game at Wiuld Things Park on July 20.
You didn’t have to look at many final scores this year to realize the Frontier League’s East Division was loaded with quality hitters. The division has been blowing up scoreboards with high-scoring games.
The East, however, proved Wednesday night at the Frontier League All-Star Game held at Wild Things Park that the division has a few quality pitchers, too.
Nine East pitchers combined to shut down a potential West lineup for an 8-1 victory in the league’s 21st annual all-star game played before a sellout crowd of 3,748.
Tri-City shortstop Pavin Parks was named the game’s Most Valuable player after going 2-for-2 with two runs and a home run.
The East outhit the West, 11-8.
Ottawa’s Zac Westcott was the winning pitcher, throwing a scoreless second inning. Three East pitchers threw perfect 1-2-3 innings, including Ottawa’s Kevin Escorcia, who struck out all three batters he faced.
East pitchers struck out 12, including eight of the final 12 West batters.
The East scored the game’s first seven runs.
Parks led off the third inning with a home run to right field. Parks, who was batting ninth in the East’s lineup, homered off Joliet pitcher Cam Aufderheidem. Parks entered the game with a .289 batting average and 10 home runs.
The East made it 2-0 in the fourth as New Jersey second baseman Justin Wylie hit a one-out double off Lake Erie’s Joseph Sgambelluri and scored after a single by New Jersey first baseman Dalton Combs and a passed ball.
A five-run fifth inning sealed the win for the East. It was a messy inning and included five hits, one walk, a hit batsman, two passed balls and a fly ball that had two fielders miscommunicate on, resulting in the ball falling for a hit for Ottawa outfielder Jake Sanford.
Parks started the inning with a single and Sussex County outfielder Martin Figueroa followed with a double. Parks scored on an RBI groundout by New Jersey’s Josh Rehwaldt. Trois-Rivieres’s Juan Kelly was hit by a pitch from Joliet’s Cole Cook and Sanford reached on his gift hit that made the score 4-0.
Two more runs scored in the big inning, one on a passed ball and one on an infield single by New York’s Davinsky.
The West scored its only run in the fifth on consecutive singles by Florence’s Alberti Chavez, Gateway’s Isaac Bernard and Washington’s Ian Walters.
Washington had nine players, including two pitchers, in the game. Center fielder Cole Brannen was a late addition as an injury replacement. The seven Washington position players combined to go 3-for-12 with Walters’ RBI single.
Washington’s Rob Whalen was the starting pitcher for the West. He threw a scoreless inning with a walk and strikeout. Wild Things closer Lukas Young pitched a scoreless eighth inning, allowing a single to Tri-City’s Brantley Bell and striking out two.
Extra bases
The East’s final run scored in the sixth when Tri-City first baseman Brad Zunica doubled, advanced on a single by Bell and crossed the plate on a wild pitch. … Empire State pitcher Johsson Arias, whose team is mired in last place in the East with a 3-54 record, retired all three batters he faced in the sixth inning. … Schaumburg outfielder Chase Dawson, who has set the Frontier League single-season record for triples (see related story on above) tripled to the wall in left centerfield in the ninth inning. It was the West’s only hit after the fifth inning.