Jul 24, 2013 5 min read

The Quincy Latimore debut was a smashing success, the relief pitching was stellar and A.J. Nunziato’s bat ran into a well-placed fastball. It all added up to a productive Wednesday afternoon for the Wild Things.

Washington swept a Frontier League doubleheader from the Rockford Aviators, 4-3 and 6-4, at Consol Energy Park. The first game, which began at 11:05 a.m., was the completion of Tuesday night’s contest that was suspended in the top of the first inning because of rain.

The rain delayed the debut of Latimore, the Wild Things’ new left fielder who was signed Tuesday. Latimore is a former fourth-round draft pick of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Pittsburgh traded Latimore to Cleveland in January in exchange for pitcher Jeanmar Gomez.

Latimore provided an instant impact as he went 4-for-4 with a double and two RBI in the opener. He broke a 3-3 tie with a single that scored C.J. Beatty with the winning run in the seventh inning. Latimore didn’t have a hit in the second game, but he sparked a two-run sixth inning by drawing a walk and came around to score the go-ahead run.

“I think he’s what we’ve been looking for,” Washington manager Bart Zeller said. “He’s a credible bat in the lineup. He knows the strike zone and puts the ball in play. He’s not going to get a hit every time, but he’s already made a difference in this club.”

That was evident in the opener, when Latimore did get a hit every time. He had a run-scoring single in the first inning, singled and scored in both the fourth and sixth innings and delivered the game-winner in his final at-bat. Beatty reached on a single against Rockford reliever Jake Nicholson (0-3), and two batters later, Latimore went the opposite way for the single that gave Washington a 4-3 lead.

“Four-for-four, two runs, two RBI – you can’t ask for more from a man on his first day,” said Nunziato, Washington’s shortstop, who played a key role in the nightcap.

Matt Phillips (1-2), the third of five Washington pitchers, was the winner with one inning of scoreless relief. When play resumed Wednesday morning after the suspension, Shawn Sanford threw 6 1/3 innings in relief of Tuesday night’s starter Shawn Smith. Jhonny Montoya got the final three outs for his sixth save.

Rockford pitcher Nick Cicio, who was a reliever for the Wild Things last year, made his first start after 66 career relief appearances. He gave up six hits, one walk and three runs (two earned) in 5 2/3 innings. He struck out 10 and baffled everyone except Latimore and Stewart Ijames (2-for-4, triple).

The Wild Things came from behind to win both games. Rockford took the lead three times in the opener, and Washington tied the score in the bottom of the inning each time. In the second game, the Aviators built a 4-0 lead in the third inning against Smith, who started his second game in as many days.

Washington began its comeback in the bottom of the third when Nunziato pulled a three-run homer to right field off Rockford starter Seafth Howe.

“That one felt good coming off the bat,” Nunziato said of his fourth homer of the year. “I was sitting on one pitch, a fastball middle-in, based on the situation, and got one.”

The Wild Things made it 4-4 in the fourth, getting singles from Jovan Rosa, Mark Samuelson and Shain Stoner.

In the sixth, Latimore drew a leadoff walk, moved to second on a single by Samuelson and stole third base. Rockford reliever Jesus Del Rosario (0-1) then uncorked a wild pitch and Latimore raced home with the go-ahead run.

Stoner followed with an RBI-single for an insurance run.

Rookie Zach Fleshman (1-0) got his first professional win with three hitless innings of relief.

“Fleshman came in and did an outstanding job,” Zeller said.

Rockford put runners on second and third with one out in the seventh against Montoya, but Amalio Diaz entered and struck out Kenny Bryant and Michael Hur to end the game.

With the doubleheader sweep and first series win since late June secured, Washington begins a three-game series tonight in Marion, Ill., against the Southern Illinois Miners.

“Having to come from behind in both games is not the way you want to get it done, but we’ll take it,” Zeller said. “It makes that long bus trip to Southern Illinois more manageable.”

Southern Illinois also could be a weary group. The Miners played a 17-inning game, that lasted almost six hours, Tuesday night at Lake Erie (the Crushers won 5-4), then had to return to the field for an 11 a.m. game Wednesday morning. … After the doubleheader, Washington released Smith (3-5, 5.43), who was in his second season with the Wild Things. The Tampa Bay Rays’ 9th round draft pick in 2008, Smith had a 6-9 career record with Washington. … The Wild Things filled one of their open roster spots by signing pitcher Dan Goldstein, a rookie out of Bucknell University.