Wild Things win in sudden death
SCHAUMBURG, Ill. — The Wild Things clinched their ninth consecutive series win Saturday night, and their latest victory took a little more time and effort than any game during the current stretch.
Pinch-runner Shemar Page scored from first base on Jared Mang’s two-out double in the 11th inning, giving the Wild Things a 5-4 walk-off win over the Schaumburg Boomers at Wintrust Field.
A walk-off win by the visiting team? Yes, because the game was in the Frontier League’s sudden-death inning.
When a game reaches the 11th inning, the home team chooses to start the inning by playing defense or hitting. The team on offense starts the inning with a runner on first base and no outs. If it scores, the game is over. If the team in the field gets three outs before giving up a run, then it wins.
With the score tied 4-4, Schaumburg chose to play defense in the 11th. Washington manager Tom Vaeth then inserted Page, a pitcher, as a pinch-runner at first base for Ian Walters.
Page was still at first base with two outs as Matt Phipps was unable to get a bunt down and Nick Ward struck out swinging. That brought to the plate Mang, who hit a two-strike pitch from Aaron Glickstein (1-1) into the gap in left centerfield. The ball bounced and got past Boomers center fielder Brett Milazzo as Page ran all the way around to score and give Washington the 6-5 victory.
Lukas Young (4-1) pitched the final two innings to get the win.
The game was tied 2-2 in the ninth inning when Mang hit a one-out solo home run to give the Wild Things the lead.
Schaumburg, however, tied the score in the bottom of the ninth by executing a squeeze play.
Washington again grabbed the lead, 4-3, in the 10th when Andrew Czech’s single drove in Cole Brannen. Schaumburg forced the sudden-death inning when Cris Ruiz hit an RBI double.
Washington scored two runs in the top of the first inning, getting an RBI double by Scotty Dubrule and an run-scoring single by Ramon Osuna.
Schaumburg scored one run in the first inning off Washington starter Daren Osby and tied the score at 2-2 with a run in the sixth.
Osby went five innings, allowing two hits, three walks and one run. He struck out seven and gave up a home run to Ruiz.