Wild Things Win Finale, Earn Split
AUGUSTA, NJ (August 5) - After dropping both ends of Tuesday's doubleheader to start the series and winning Wednesday, Washington earned a series split with the first-place Sussex County Miners by taking the finale 8-3.
The Wild Things, for the second-straight night, got the scoring started with a two-run inning. This time it was an inning earlier than the last. Joe Campagna's 10th home run of the season brought in two, including Grant Heyman, who had walked, to open up the scoring. Washington would add a run in the third inning on an RBI single by Bralin Jackson that plated Nick Ward, who had singled earlier in the inning.
Sussex County threatened, scored, continued to threaten but was then retired by Ryan Hennen in the bottom half of the third inning. The Miners got two, one on an error by Andrew Sohn and the other on an RBI double by Chuck Taylor to pull back within one. That inning happened after Hennen set down the first six he faced in his second career start against Sussex County.
Miners' starter Max Herrmann left the game after four innings of work and suffered the loss when all was said and done. He allowed five runs on seven hits, fanned four, walked three and hit one. Washington added two off him in the fourth inning in response to Sussex County's two-run third. Andrew Sohn walked with the bases full before a groundout by Scotty Dubrule brought home Washington's fifth run and made it 5-2.
Kaleo Johnson homered in the sixth, his third, to bring the score to 5-3 Washington before Ryan Hennen exited the game following his sixth inning. He earned his eighth win, which leads the league, by allowing three over six innings. Two of the runs were earned and Hennen fanned five to just four hits allowed.
Dubrule extended his on-base streak to start his pro career to 17 games with a seventh-inning single. He'd score on a run-scoring double by Grant Heyman later on in the inning that made it 6-3 Washington. Jesus Balaguer came in and allowed a hit but got through the inning clean with a strikeout. Another Dubrule RBI groundout made it 7-3 Wild Things in the eighth. Joe Campagna hit an RBI single to plate the final Washington run, Grant Heyman, who had doubled for the second time, in the ninth. BJ Sabol finished the game on the mound.
Washington will head back to Washington, PA and Wild Things Park for a three-game set with the New Jersey Jackals that starts Friday night with Yinzer Night, presented by Fathead's Brewery. It's the return of the Steel City Slammin' Sammies with a jersey auction of the uniforms. Fireworks will be shot off after the game. Gates open at 6 p.m. and first pitch is slated for 7:05 p.m. Get tickets at wildthingstickets.com.
