Washington Dominates Finale, Takes Weekend Series Over Boulders
WASHINGTON, Pa. (July 28) – The Washington Wild Things concluded a six-game home stand with a series-clinching 8-1 victory over the New York Boulders. The game was Disney Night sponsored by WCTPA as a sellout crowd flocked to Wild Things Park to watch the first-place Wild Things and see Bluey and Bingo on a Blueprints Kids Eat Free Sunday. Washington was led offensively by timely hitting as Brandon McIlwain and Tommy Caufield hit home runs and Wagner Lagrange reached base three times.
In the first, Caufield got caught in a rundown trying to steal third base but ultimately advanced two bases and scored an unearned run to give Washington a 1-0 lead on a throwing error.
The Boulders responded in the top of the second inning with a run of their own on four base hits. A run was saved by the Wild Things defense as right fielder Brandon McIlwain fielded a single with runners on first and second. Isaac Bellony attempted to score the run from second but was ultimately gunned down by McIlwain. Bellony also left the game after the play due to an apparent injury. The Boulders did score the run later in the inning to tie the game at one apiece.
The Wild Things retook the lead in the bottom of the fourth inning thanks to a one-out RBI single from Andrew Czech that scored Lagrange from second base following a single from Lagrange. The offense continued the assault as Brandon McIlwain stepped up with runners on first and second and one out. McIlwain crushed a pitch down the left field line and over the foul pole into the parking lot to extend the lead to 5-1. The homer for McIlwain was his fifth of the season and the Frontier League leading 75th of the season for Washington.
The Wild Things got some help from the sun in the bottom of the fifth inning as the New York right fielder lost a fly ball in the sun with two outs and a runner on first. The miscue allowed Tyreque Reed to score from first base and gave Andrew Czech his second RBI hit of the evening on a double.
The bottom of the sixth inning involved more extra base hits and runs scored for Washington as Carson Clowers lined a ground-rule double into the Wild Things bullpen in right field. This was followed by a home run launched over the right field wall by Tommy Caufield to extend the lead to 8-1 as Caufield got his ninth long ball of the season.
After a one-run effort, Jordan DiValerio gave way to Christian James in the seventh inning. DiValerio pitched his seventh quality start of the season as he allowed one run in six innings pitched. He did allow 11 hits in those six innings but nine of those 11 hits were singles and he did not allow any walks and struck out two batters.
The bullpen closed the door behind scoreless one inning outings from Christian James, Justin Goossen-Brown, and Alex Carrillo. In all, the Boulders scored only one run despite 14 hits as they left 14 runners on base across nine innings.
The Wild Things travel west following the conclusion of this series as they begin a three-game set with the Joliet Slammers on Tuesday, July 30th. Washington took two of three against Joliet in early June as this will be the first series of this season at Slammers Stadium. The Things return home Friday to begin a three-game series with the Sussex County Miners.
