Washington Digs Early Hole, Can't Escape in Finale at Miners
MARION, Il. (June 13) - An early hole dug by the Wild Things was too much to escape from Thursday at Rent One Park, as the Wild Things suffered a sweep at the hands of the Southern Illinois Miners to start the road trip. The final was 8-3.
Mikael Mogues and the Wild Things opened the scoring in the first inning, as Mogues launched his third home run of the year overall, with all three coming against the Miners, to give the Wild Things a 1-0 lead before the Miners even came to the plate.
That was when things turned south for the visitors, as Southern Illinois managed to plate eight runs in the second, all of which were charged to the starter Michael Austin. The Miners collected seven hits and were aided by two walks as they brought 12 batters to the dish, and led 8-1 going to the third.
Washington managed two runs on three hits in the next half inning, including doubles by Ryan Cox and Cody Erickson. The latter scored Saige Jenco, who had driven home Cox with a base hit. That got things going in the right direction for the Wild Things, as they looked to continue to cut into the deficit.
Neither team scored in the fourth or fifth innings. Southern Illinois starter Austin Dubsky fanned 11 through six innings of work, allowing the three runs, as he also put up a zero despite a Miners' error in the sixth. The 11 punchouts set a new career best for the right hander.
Josh Lapiana tossed 4.1 scoreless for the second-consecutive outing for him, as he kept the Miners at bay through the sixth. Nick Durazo chucked a scoreless seventh in his first appearance against his former team at his old home ballpark. He then put up a zero in the eighth as well.
The Wild Things' bats couldn't muster another run in the game after the two-run third, and they fell 8-3, being swept for the second-straight series.
Washington looks to snap a six-game skid tomorrow, Friday, June 14, in Joliet, when they it meets the Slammers for the first time since 2018's Frontier League Championship Series Game Five at Wild Things Park, which saw the Slammers take home a championship. First pitch Friday is slated for 8:05 p.m. ET.
