Errors, Walks Unlike Wild Things Prove Costly in Middle Game
SAUGET, Il. (June 26) – The Washington Wild Things entered Wednesday’s morning affair the best defensive team in the league and the best staff by walks issued in the Frontier League by a mile. They leave the game the same way, but three errors and four-straight walks in the sixth inning proved costly in the middle game in Sauget. Gateway evened the series with an 11-5 victory.
Gateway got the game’s first run in the first inning on an RBI single by Peter Zimmermann to open the scoring. The next five Gateway runs to come across were unearned against Washington starter Jordan DiValerio. Zimmermann doubled home a run and DJ Stewart doubled in two in the third for a three-run inning making it 4-0.
Wagner Lagrange hit a solo homer, his fourth of the season, to cut the Gateway lead to 4-1 in the fourth, but the Wild Things failed to get a shutdown inning in the bottom half, as a leadoff error ended up allowing two unearned to score on a homer by Abdiel Diaz. The error, Ethan Wilder’s second of the game, marked the first time all year the Wild Things have made three errors in one game.
Washington fought back a bit in the sixth with a three spot, scoring on an RBI double by Tommy Caufield, an RBI fielder’s choice by Derek Gellos and a wild pitch. Those three made it 6-4 but Gateway tacked on two to answer in the bottom half. Four-straight walks led to the first run then a sac fly brought home the second, making it 8-4. The Wild Things plated a run on a Caufield sac fly in the eighth to pull within three at 8-5.
The Grizzlies hit back-to-back homers against Frankie Giuliano, the first three runs he’s allowed on his line all year, snapping a 15.1-inning scoreless streak for the lefty. Gabe Holt hit a two-run homer and Kyle Gaedele a solo shot, bringing the game to its final of 11-5.
The two sides go at it again tomorrow at 7:30/6:30 p.m. CT for control of the series in what will be the 12th and final meeting between the two in the 2024 regular season.
