Baranek, Bene Successful in Debuts, Things Take Series
WASHINGTON, Pa. (June 6) - In Thursday's rubber game against the Miners, the Washington Wild Things got it all en route to a win. Washington had good pitching, with the Miners scoring their two runs in the first and then nothing more, good hitting, with nine runs on 14 hits and five multi-hit performances and good defense, with several great plays and another errorless game for the best defense statistically in the league.
Southern Illinois scored two runs in the first inning on a two-run single by Andy Cosgrove off AJ Bogucki, who ended up working through traffic and a high pitch count to get through four innings of work in his second start with the club. He struck out five.
The Wild Things scored three in the third inning. Freshly-signed left fielder Cameron Baranek singled and went to second on an error and was knocked in by freshly-signed catcher Drew Bene, who, with the RBI single, notched his first professional hit and RBI. Later in the frame, second baseman Shaine Hughes doubled home a pair.
JJ Fernandez extended the lead with his second home run of the series, a solo shot to open the fourth, before a run scored after a Ryan Cox single and error by the right fielder. The Wild Things led 5-1 after four, before adding two in the fifth on a two-run triple by Fernandez. Shaine Hughes hit a solo shot and Baranek plated Roa with a single for his first Wild Things' RBI.
Carter Johnson threw three, scoreless innings for the win, before BJ Sabol and James Meeker combined to throw the final two frames scoreless in the Wild Things' victory.
Saige Jenco, Hughes, Fernandez, Baranek and Bene had multi-hit nights, while Hughes and Fernandez both drove home three runs.
The Things now turn their attention to a weekend series with the Florence Freedom. The first pitch of Friday's series opener at Wild Things Park is slated for 7:05 p.m.
