Sep 5, 2018 2 min read

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Roman Collins continued his hot postseason by driving in three runs as the Washington Wild Things defeated Evansville, 8-4, Wednesday in Game 2 of a Frontier League playoff series at Bosse Field.

The Wild Things lead the best-of-5 series 2-0 and will try to clinch a spot in the league championship series for the first time since 2007 when they play Game 3 Friday night at Wild Things Park. Games 4 and 5, if necessary, will be played Saturday and Sunday, also in Washington.

Winning pitcher Chase Cunningham went six innings. He was followed by Trevor Bradley for two innings and Zach Strecker pitched the ninth.

Washington started quickly against Evansville starter Tyler Beardsley, scoring two runs in the top of the first inning. Evansville, using an aggressive approach of swinging at the first pitch of an at-bat, scored three times in the second inning to take the lead.

However, Collins, who homered and drove in two runs in Game 1 Tuesday, had the key hit of Game 2, a bases-loaded triple to right field in the fourth inning that gave Washington a 6-3 lead. It came after James Harris drew a bases-loaded walk that tied the score. Collins would later score on a passed ball. The big inning also started with a leadoff triple off the bat of Carter McEachern.

Hector Roa scored on a sacrifice fly by Kyle Pollock in the fifth inning, giving the Wild Things an 8-3 lead.

Evansville scored its final run in the eighth inning against Bradley, using a single, a walk and Carlos Castro’s sacrifice fly.

Cunningham allowed seven hits and one walk. He struck out two.

Beardsley lasted only 3 2/3 innings, giving up six hits, four walks and seven runs.

McEachern led a nine-hit attack, going 3-for-4. Collins was 2-for-4 for the second consecutive game.

The other first-round series between River City and Joliet was in a rain delay at press time and tied at 4-4. River City won Game 1 Monday, 2-1.