Jun 20, 2024 4 min read

Say this about the Frontier League’s extra-innings tiebreaker system. It sure can add excitement to a game that had a serious lack of it for eight innings.

After Washington left fielder Wagner LaGrange hit a game-tying solo home run to start the bottom of the ninth inning Thursday night, the Wild Things’ game against Gateway went to the tiebreaker 10th inning and ultimately needed the sudden-death 11th to decide the outcome, which was a 2-1 win for Grizzlies.

Following a scoreless 10th inning, Gateway started the sudden-death inning with Cole Brannen on first base. Washington went to the bullpen and called upon righthander Justin Goossen-Brown, who had been dominant against Gateway in his career. Goossen-Brown threw two scoreless innings Wednesday night and had given up only three hits and one unearned run over 11 1/3 innings in his career against Gateway.

A sacrifice bunt by Abdiel Diaz started the 11th and advanced Brannen into scoring position. Tate Wargo, who had the Grizzlies’ only hit against Goossen-Brown on Wednesday, went the opposite way with a pitch and grounded it up the first-base line, where Washington rookie Derek Gellos was making a rare start instead of Andrew Czech. Gellos tried to make a diving stop, but the ball glanced off the end of his glove and rolled down the line as Brannen motored around to score and give Gateway the victory.

During the late innings, a bright full moon dominated the sky above left field, which seemed appropriate because it was a night for roundness, especially on the scoreboard.

The game was scoreless until the seventh inning when Gateway pushed across a run that seemed like it would be more than enough for the Grizzlies’ pitching staff, which was working on its fourth shutout at Wild Things Park in five games.

Lagrange, however, hit the third pitch of the bottom of the ninth from Gateway reliever Nate Garkow (3-0) over the wall down the left-field line to tie the score and pump some life into the crowd of 1,640, setting up the tiebreaker innings.

In the 10th, Washington closer Gyeongju Kim stranded Gateway’s tiebreaker runner at third base. All Washington had to do to win the game was score its tiebreaker runner. Robert Chayka started at second base and was bunted to third by J.C. Santini. Garkow, however, worked out of the jam. He struck out Gellos, and after Evan Berkey walked on a 3-2 pitch, Alex Ovalles popped out to third base to end the inning.

Washington then had the choice of hitting with a runner on first base or pitching with the same scenario. A scoreless inning gives the team playing the field a win. The Wild Things, as most teams in the Frontier League have done, chose to pitch.

The loss spoiled a fine outing by Washington starter Jordan DiValerio, who took a shutout into the seventh inning, when Gateway scored the game’s first run.

Kyle Gaedele, who entered the game batting only .160, drew a one-out walk off DiValerio and it proved costly to the home team. Mark Vierling, just activated off the injured list earlier in the day, followed with a single.

DiValerio got Peter Zimmerman to foul out to first base for the inning’s second out and that is when Washington manager Tom Vaeth went to the mound and called upon his bullpen.

Nick McDonald was brought in and his third pitch was grounded up the middle for an RBI single by D.J. Stewart, scoring Gaedele and making it 1-0.

DiValerio allowed five hits and one run in 6 2/3 innings. He walked one and struck out three.

Veinbergs went four innings and gave up two hits and three walks. Washington had baserunners against him but Grizzlies catcher Jose Alvarez erased many of them. Alvarez threw out three potential basestealers over the first three innings.

Joel Condreay, Matt Hickey and Gaige Vailles followed Veinbergs on the mound and threw four scoreless innings of relief before Garkow entered.

Extra bases

Washington begins a nine-game road trip tonight at Schaumburg, where the Wild Things played last weekend. The trip also includes stops in Gateway and Lake Erie. Washington will not be at home again until July 2 when it hosts Florence. … Washington had only 13 hits in the series, the only extra-base hits were a double by Alex Ovalles in the eighth inning and Lagrange’s home run. … Wild Things center fielder Caleb McNeely missed his second consecutive game and shortstop Carson Clowers sat out for the fourth straight game. … The all-time series between Washington and Gateway is tied 65-65.