Aug 12, 2015 5 min read

The second-half collapse that many predicted for the Greys, the Frontier League’s homeless team that is playing 96 road games, has not happened. The road-weary Greys are still within striking distance of the league’s final wild-card playoff berth and showing no signs of fading.

Even after three months of bus rides, motels, fast food and two doubleheaders last weekend at Lake Erie, the Greys had enough feistiness and fight left to outlast the Wild Things 8-7 in 12 innings Tuesday night at Consol Energy Park.

The game, which went to the league’s new International Tiebreaker rule, also featured three ejections, 10 pitchers and a game-tying home run in the bottom of the ninth by Washington first baseman Jimmy Yezzo.

The Greys, the Frontier League’s homeless traveling team, ran their record to 4-0 against Washington. It was the Greys’ second tiebreaker win over the Wild Things.

“They’re a good team. The top of their order is pretty strong,” said Washington manager Bob Bozzuto, who was ejected in the bottom of the fifth inning by base umpire Jon Saphire after the latter called Matt Ford out on a force play at second base.

Yezzo’s three-run opposite-field homer off Greys reliever Nate McBride with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning tied the score at 5-5. After a scoreless 10th inning, the game went to the International Tiebreaker in which every half-inning, beginning with the 11th, starts with a runner on second base and no outs. Both teams scored a run in the 11th on one-out singles, the Greys’ by Mike Falsetti, the No. 9 hitter in the lineup, and the Wild Things getting a chopper up the middle by Scott Kalamar.

The Greys won the game by scoring twice in the 12th against Washington closer Jonathan Kountis (2-2). Scott Carcaise had a one-out RBI single and Michael Antonio drove in the game-winner with a two-out single that made it 8-6.

Washington pulled to within 8-7 when Danny Poma drove in Yezzo to start the bottom of the 12th, but a fielder’s choice and double play ended the game.

Scott Rice (2-2) was the winning pitcher in his Greys debut, throwing the final two innings. The Wild Things left 13 runners on base, including 12 in the first eight innings.

“We’ve got to get quality at-bats with runners in scoring position,” Bozzuto said. “That didn’t happen. That has been our nemesis all year.”

Washington spent much of the night trying to overcome what Greys second baseman and Brandon Tierney did with one swing of the bat before the game’s first out. A former placekicker for the University of Arkansas football team, Tierney hit a three-run homer off Washington starter Ernesto Zaragoza three batters into the game.

“We still have to stop ’em in the first inning,” Bozzuto said. “They scored three in the first. We’ve got to put up a zero.”

Zaragoza gave up five runs (four earned) on seven hits in 6 2/3 innings.

Bozzuto was still steamed hours after his ejection, which came after Ford was called out at second base when Greys shortstop Francisco Rosario dropped the baseball. The umpire ruled that Rosario caught the throw from second baseman Tierney and dropped the ball on the transfer while attempting to throw to first base.

“It’s interesting that the last time we played (the Greys), the umpires conferred and changed a call, which went against us,” Bozzuto said. “This time, it was turned down. That was a huge call. We would have had first and second with no outs.”

Washington pulled to within 3-1 when designated hitter David Popkins hit a solo homer with one out in the third inning off Greys starter Kyle Bogese. Popkins went the opposite way with a Bogese fastball and hit it over the left-field wall for his team-leading 19th home run and first since July 23.

Popkins almost hit his 20th homer in the sixth inning. His drive to center field hit off the wall and he settled for a double. Popkins, who reached base safely in all five of his plate appearances, scored to make it a 4-2 game in the sixth when catcher John Fidanza hit a bases-loaded single to right field.

The Greys had taken a 4-1 lead in the top of the sixth, scoring an unearned run when Tierney reached on an error and Dillon Haupt doubled to deep center field. The Greys tacked on what seemed like an insurance run in the seventh on an RBI single by Julio Rodriguez that made the score 5-2.

After a leadoff single by Sam Mende and a one-out walk to Popkins, Yezzo, who was signed last week, hit his first home run with Washington to make it 5-5.

Saphire also ejected Rosario in the ninth inning after he argued a called third strike by home-plate umpire Michael Shields. Greys manager Vinny Ganz was tossed by Shields in the 10th after Shane Brown struck out. … Washington released pitchers Matt Soren and Jon Costa on Monday. Costa had been with the Wild Things for eight days and Soren was signed July 29. Washington played with a league-minimum 22 players on the active roster. … Frontier League deputy commissioner Steve Tahsler attended the game. He said no timetable has been set for an announcement about what penalties, if any, will be imposed on Evansville after it was discovered last week that Otters pitcher Will Oliver had played this season despite exceeding the league’s age limit of 27. Oliver also did not qualify as the Otters’ one Veteran player who can play until age 30. Oliver had a 9-2 record and 1.52 ERA in 13 starts. He defeated Washington and Southern Illinois each two times.