Wilder Walks Off Otters, Wins Series For Washington

WASHINGTON, Pa. (July 10) - The Washington Wild Things hot streak continued with a victory over the Evansville Otters 5-4 in walk-off fashion to win their seventh in a row on a bases-loaded single by Ethan Wilder.

The All-Star lefty Kobe Foster got the start today and got knocked around a bit early in the first as the first two hitters of the game Delvin Zinn and Gary Mattis reached base with hits. They both scored: Zinn on a groundout to first by David Mendham and Mattis on a sac fly by Dakota Phillips.

In an eventful top of the third, Zinn reached first on a single and got caught in a pickle for the second out of the inning after an Adams strikeout. Mendham ripped a double down the left field line but got hosed at the plate after a phenomenal relay from Robert Chayka and Ethan Wilder on the next at-bat to end the top half of the frame. 

Going into the top of the fourth, Tommy Caufield made a remarkable diving catch at third to rob Randy Bednar of an extra-base hit. Foster rode the momentum from that web gem as he struck out the final two batters of the inning. Smith continued to blank the Wild Things bats in the bottom of the frame and then Evansville tacked on another run in the top of the fifth after back-to-back-to-back singles from Zinn, Mattis and Mendham.

Randy Bednar started the top of the sixth with a leadoff double and later stole third. On Alec Olund’s single, Bednar came in to score, making the score 4-0 in favor of the Otters. In the bottom of the inning, Ethan Wilder reached on a single and scored on Tommy Caufield’s triple, who also scored on an error to cut the Otter’s lead in half. The little-league home run pulled Washington within two at 4-2.

Kobe Foster's night would end there as Washington handed the ball to another lefty, Brendan Nail in the top of 7th. The all-star’s final stat line read six innings pitched, 11 hits, four earned runs and an impressive 10 strikeouts with zero walks. This marks the third-straight start where Foster reached double-digit strikeouts. Nail put up a scoreless seventh while striking out two to keep the Otters from responding. 

Right-handed pitcher Christian James came in for the Wild Things and completed a 1-2-3 inning in the top of the eighth. Fellow Wild Things All Star Gyeongju Kim sat down the Otters hitters in order in the top of the ninth. The Wild Things bats came back in the bottom of the 9th with a vengeance.

Tyreque Reed singled to start the inning and went to third on a double by Andrew Czech. At that point, Carson Clowers came in to run for Czech. Brandon McIlwain hit a soft grounder to short that ended up being an infield single that brought home Reed, making it 4-3. After a punchout of Evan Berkey, Jalen Miller, who was activated off the injured list for Washington today, hit for Robert Chayka and hit into a fielder’s choice that cut down the would-be tying run at home.

That run ended up scoring on the next batter’s batted ball, as JC Santini hit a cue shot that had eyes past the second-base bag. The ball got stopped, but Evansville second baseman Gary Mattis had no play, allowing Washington to tie the game at 4-4. Evansville intentionally walked the league’s leader in RBI, Caleb McNeely, to get to Ethan Wilder. Wilder stepped in, took a strike and then delivered a warning-track fly ball that got down for a single to win the game for the Wild Things.

The Wild Things will look to sweep the series against the Otters on Thursday Night for Eras Night presented by Slingers Signature Cocktails and a Thirsty Thursday with the Coors Light Brew Crew presented by Molson Coors Beverage Company. The first pitch is slated for 7:05 p.m.