New York Walks Off Washington With Four-Run Ninth
POMONA, NY (July 3) - The Washington Wild Things saw their 4-1 ninth-inning lead evaporate in just a few minutes Saturday as they returned to the field after two rain postponements. It was Tucker Nathans' three-run, walk-off homer that gave the New York Boulders the win in the first ever meeting between New York and Washington.
Washington got the scoring going in the top of the second inning with three tallies. The first came in on a sac fly by Hector Roa that the centerfielder dropped to allow Roa to reach as well. Cody Erickson doubled home Grant Heyman and Roa to make it 3-0. New York got on the board in the seventh with a ground ball, on which an error was made. It was an unearned run because the runner had gone to third on a two-bases error on a failed pick off.
Washington got that run back in the ninth after stranding two in a bases-loaded, one-out spot in the eighth. Brian Sharp delivered a pinch-hit RBI double to make it 4-1. Then New York got four in the home half of the ninth to win it. The first scored on a Zach Kirtley single, unearned. Then Nathans' home run gave the Boulders the win.
McKenzie Mills started and gave Washington six shutout innings and James Meeker pitched 1.1 scoreless innings as the third arm from the Wild Things on the mound. Zach Strecker blew his first save and picked up his third loss.
Washington made five errors in the contest, a single-game team high for the season.
The Wild Things will look to snap what is now a three-game skid tomorrow, with first pitch for the July 4th tilt with New York slated for 6 p.m.
