Washington Runs Away With Series Opener vs Miners
WASHINGTON, Pa. (June 4) - The Wild Things won the series opener at Wild Things Park against the Southern Illinois Miners tonight after taking the lead early and never looking back. It's the first time this season the Wild Things have won consecutive games.
After both teams were held scoreless in the first and Southern Illinois was in the second, Washington took a 1-0 lead on a solo shot by JJ Fernandez, who now has a solo homer in back-to-back games, in the second. The Wild Things got a second run on a Fernandez RBI double in the third and a third run in the fourth when Wander Franco lifted a sac fly to plate Erickson.
John Havird, the Wild Things' starter, carried a no hitter into the fifth before giving up his first run and only run of the game in the sixth to the Miners. He's now 2-1 after the winning effort, that saw the former Traverse City Beach Bum yield just four hits over seven innings.
Hector Roa's three-run home run made the score 6-1 in the sixth, before the Wild Things added five runs in the eighth highlighted by RBI hits by Fernandez and Erickson.
Southern Illinois got a run back in the ninth but that was all the Miners could muster in the series opener.
The reigning Frontier League Player of the Week Cody Erickson had his second-straight four-hit night, while Fernandez and Roa had four and three hits, respectively. Both of those guys batted in three.
Washington and Southern Illinois will play game two of the series tomorrow at 7:05 p.m. at Wild Things Park on a Win Big Wednesday presented by Dean's Water.
