Wild Things let one game away, settle for split
POMONA, N.Y. – The Wild Things suffered one of their toughest regular-season losses in years Wednesday night in the opening game of a doubleheader against the New York Boulders at Clover Stadium.
Washington followed it with a lopsided victory to split the twibill.
The Wild Things held a six-run lead in the seventh inning but lost 10-9 in nine innings. The game ended with the Frontier League’s sudden death inning.
In the nightcap, Washington scored the game’s first 13 runs en route to a 13-2 victory.
In the opener, Washington was leading 7-1 entering the bottom of the seventh inning and in need of only three outs to win the game. New York, however, scored six times to force extra innings. Former major leaguer Pat Kivlehan had a two-run single off reliever Will Solomon to cut Washington’s lead to 7-4.
Closer Lukas Young replaced Solomon but gave up a game-tying three-run homer to Thomas Walraven that tied the score at 7-7.
In the tiebreaker eighth inning, Washington went up 9-7. With the bases loaded, New York tried to turn a double play on a ground ball off the bat of Tristan Peterson. However, a throwing error on the relay to first base allowed two Washington runs to score.
New York was down to its last strike in the bottom of the eighth when Giovanni Garbella tied the score at 9-9 with a two-run single.
That sent the game to the Frontier League’s sudden death inning, which begins with a runner on first base with no outs. New York had the option to hit or play defense and the Boulders chose the former.
With Christian James (0-2) pitching, the Boulders loaded the bases with one out, getting two walks (one intentional). Walraven then flied out to center fielder Jack Cone, whose throw to home plate to get the tagging Garbella kicked off catcher J.C. Santini, ending the game.
Washington had built its lead with the help of home runs by Peterson and Andrew Czech.
Wild Things starting pitcher Kobe Foster breezed through the first five innings on just 50 pitches, allowing only three hits and one run but was taken out of the game with a 6-1 lead. Foster did not issue a walk and struck out two.
In the second game, Peterson homered and drove in four runs, Scott Dubrule also homered, and four Washington pitchers combined on a five-hitter.
Peterson went 3-for-4 with two doubles and the home run. Washington hit seven doubles in the game.
Starting pitching Justin Goossen-Brown (1-0) threw four shutout innings and was credited with the win, though he did not pitch the five innings required to qualify for a win.