Washington Falls in Back-And-Forth Finale on Walkoff Homer
SCHAUMBURG, Il. (June 16) – As Washington sought a sweep in Schaumburg, it was the shutdown inning that eluded them in what is Washington’s third loss on the road this season in 17 games, as the club fell in walk-off fashion for the second time this season, this time on a walkoff homer by Aaron Simmons in the ninth. The final was 11-10 Schaumburg.
The Wild Things, for the second-straight night, started the scoring in the first inning. With two on and two outs, Andrew Czech singled to right to bring home the game’s first run. The next batter, Ethan Wilder, singled home the second run. Alex Ovalles and Wagner Lagrange scored after they both reached on infield hits. The Boomers responded with a run in the second, scoring on an RBI single by Aaron Simmons to make it 2-1.
The scoring at that point would halt until the fourth when the back-and-forth began. In the top of the fourth, JC Santini doubled home a run and a second run came in on a sacrifice fly by Derek Gellos. That RBI for Gellos was his first as a professional. Schaumburg scored in the bottom half on an RBI single by Willie Joe Garry that plated Chase Dawson.
In the fifth, Czech roped an RBI double and Wilder collected a line drive single to right for another RBI, making it 6-2 Washington. Schaumburg got a two-run single from Christian Fedko in the fifth.
The teams traded three run innings in the seventh. Wagner Lagrange launched his second of the year over the wall in left to give the Wild Things a 7-4 advantage before Tommy Caufield singled home a pair, making it 9-4. The Boomers got a sacrifice fly from Kyle Fitzgerald and a two-run homer from Aaron Simmons to make it 9-7 in the home half.
Christian Fedko hit a two-run homer in the eighth off Ryan Munoz to tie the game at 9-9. In the top of the ninth, it was Tommy Caufield who gave Washington the lead at 10-9 with an RBI single to plate Lagrange against Jake Joyce. The Boomers hit back-to-back homers in the home ninth to secure the win and salvage a game in the series that Washington won. Kyle Fitzgerald hit the first and Simmons the second on the very next pitch.
Washington’s road trip ends with two series victories and a 4-2 record. The Wild Things now return home for a three-game homestand and series with the Gateway Grizzlies, which begins Tuesday at 7:05 p.m. After that homestand, it’s right back out on the road for the Wild Things with series against Schaumburg, Gateway and Lake Erie to come on the longest trip of the season, beginning Friday here at Wintrust Field.
