Washington Takes Opener, First Place Lead is Two Games
AUGUSTA, NJ (September 3) - After seeing a 3-0 lead disappear, Washington broke the 3-3 tie with four late runs and took the series opener to extend their Northeast Division lead to two games with a win, 7-3 in the series opener at Skylands Stadium against the Sussex County Miners.
The scoring started in the first inning when, after a double play ball, Scotty Dubrule doubled up the left field line and then scored on a single to right by Bralin Jackson, allowing Washington to strike first. The Wild Things added two in the third inning to make it 3-0 on RBI singles from Bralin Jackson and Grant Heyman, that allowed Washington to take advantage of two, two-out walks in the frame.
Sussex County started to chip away at the small Washington lead in the bottom of the third by plating its first run with the help of an error during a run of three-straight singles for the bottom third of the Miners' order. The Miners added singular runs off Alex Boshers in the fifth and sixth innings to tie the series opener. LT Struble's RBI single made it 3-2 in the fifth and Audy Ciriaco's fister to right tied it in the sixth and chased Boshers. A walk by BJ Sabol loaded the bags but two strikeouts for the lefty got Washington out of it with the 3-3 score standing still.
Joe Campagna's run-scoring triple that plated Trevor Casanova gave the Wild Things a 4-3 lead in the top of the eighth but the Wild Things also stranded the bases full in the frame, failing to get more. But it didn't matter. Dan Kubiuk allowed a baserunner but fanned two in the eighth before the Things plated three in the ninth on an RBI single by Hector Roa, a sac fly by Trevor Casanova and a wild pitch just before that sac fly. Zach Strecker finished with three outs in the ninth.
Washington sends Daren Osby (4-4, 3.56 ERA) to the bump in the second of the four-game series Saturday. He'll be opposed by lefty Max Herrmann (4-4, 4.29 ERA). The Wild Things lead to the Northeast Division by two games entering that contest. The magic number for the seventh division title in franchise history is nine (combo of wins and Sussex County losses) with three left in Augusta over the holiday weekend.
