Sammies, Wild Things Take Sunday Games to Close Week 2
WASHINGTON, Pa. (July 19) - Sunday at Wild Things Park, it was the home teams that ruled Disney Night, presented by Upon a Star Travel and Concierge. Steel City ran away from the Road Warrior Black Sox in the first game before the Wild Things jumped out to a big lead, lost it and then took it back, winning 8-7 in the nightcap.
The Slammin' Sammies scored the first two runs of the game, as Dom DeRenzo singled to right field off the handle of the bat, which scored Joe Campagna and John Sansone. Later in the frame, Liam Sabino was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. In the third, Sabino tripled and then scored on a throwing error by the Black Sox' first baseman trying to get Sabino at third. That made it 5-0 Slammin' Sammies.
In the fourth, V Desai singled home a run and was knocked in by Bradley Roberto to bring the Road Warriors within three. But it didn't last long. Steel City scored five in the fifth, the first two of which were on bases-loaded walks to Sabino and Robbie Thorburn. Campagna hit a book-rule double to bring home two more and then Sansone grounded out to bring home the 10th run for Steel City. That capped the scoring in the contest.
Keven Pimentel picked up the win, his first, with five innings of five-hit, two-run ball. Pimentel fanned 11 batters, matching Frank Moscatiello's 11 in a game earlier this week for the most by a pitcher in a single game in the pod. Daniel Taggart took the loss for the Road Warriors, allowing four earned runs, five total, over three innings.
Wild Things' centerfielder EP Reese hit a solo shot to start the Wild Things' half of the first. After Chris Kwitzer had singled and advanced to third on the same play after an error by the right fielder on the batted ball, he scored on a groundout by Ray Hernandez.
Stewart Ijames launched a three-run home run to right in the third inning to make it 5-0. In the fifth, after Tyler Garkow had tossed four strong innings, Baseball Brilliance got to him. Cody Lovejoy hit a grand slam before Nate Thompson doubled home the then-tying run. The Sox would take the lead in the seventh before the Wild Things immediately took it back. A single by Hector Roa tied the game as Ray Hernandez scored then Roa scored from second on Joseph Fernando's single through the left side.
In the eighth, Hernandez hit a solo shot, which proved pivotal, as the Sox plated a run on a groundout, unearned, against Zach Strecker in the ninth, before a groudout ended the game.
Jake Dexter got the win in relief while Strecker picked up his fourth save of the summer.
View box scores for each game today below and cumulative stats on the Stats tab of the Wild Things' website.
Tomorrow, the schedule will be announced for next week with updates on ticket sales for the week.
