Dorminy's Strong Start, Collins' Game-Saving Diving Catch Highlight Friday's 1-0 Win for Washington
MARION, IL (June 15) — With two outs and two in scoring position in the bottom of the ninth of a 1-0 game, Southern Illinois Miners' shortstop John Holland drove a first-pitch offering from Washington's closer Zach Strecker to left field for what looked like a walk-off hit. Instead, left fielder Roman Collins—who drove in the only run of the game in the first inning—made a diving catch to give Washington its 10th win in 11 games.
Led by eight shutout innings by left hander Thomas Dorminy, the Wild Things (21-10) responded to their nine-game winning streak ending Thursday night in their series finale at Gateway with a win in Friday's series opener against the Miners (16-13) at Rent One Park.
It took Washington just three batters to draw first blood. Centerfielder James Harris led off the game with a book-rule double, and with one out and Collins at the plate, stole his 12th base of the season. Collins doubled Harris home for what would prove to be the game's lone run. It was Collins' 31st RBI of the season, which moved him to within one of Harris for the Frontier League lead. Harris went 3-4, raising his batting average to .345 on the season.
In the bottom of the ninth, Strecker relieved Dorminy to close out the game. After getting right fielder Noah Earley to ground out to start the inning, Strecker walked first baseman Chance Shepard and allowed a single to designated hitter Joe Dudek. Catcher Ben Moore subsequently hit into a fielders’ choice in which Shepard and Dudek moved to second and third on a throwing error by third baseman Mike Hill after he had stepped on third for the second out. That set up Holland, who was robbed of a game-winning hit by Collins, and the first-place Wild Things secured the win.
Dorminy followed up five shutout innings in Sunday's 4-0 win over Joliet with another excellent outing against the Miners to win his second-straight decision and improve to 5-1. Over eight shutout frames, Dorminy allowed just two singles while walking four, striking out three and hitting a batter, and 17 of his 24 outs came on the ground. Dorminy now has thrown 13-consecutive scoreless innings and in his two starts against Southern Illinois, allowed one unearned run over 14 frames on his way to two wins over the Miners.
SI's Geno Encina fell to 1-3, despite allowing just one earned run over seven innings and posted a career-high nine strikeouts—surpassing his previous mark of seven set in Washington, May 24. Encina also gave up seven hits while issuing just one walk and hitting a batter. Despite giving up just three earned runs in 14 innings pitched against the Wild Things this season, two of Encina's three losses have come against the Wild Things.
Strecker picked up his ninth save of the season with a scoreless ninth.
The second game of the series is scheduled for tomorrow night at 7:05 eastern time.
