Storybook performance from Fraudin
This could have been a story about Wild Things right fielder Scott Kalamar, who changed his uniform number Wednesday and changed his luck, hitting a long three-run homer in the first inning.
This also could have been a story about steady Sam Mende, the Wild Things’ versatile play-anywhere player who matched Kalamar by hitting a three-run homer in the fourth inning.
It also could have been a story about the Wild Things finally finding a way to beat the Greys, the Frontier League’s homeless road warriors. Washington defeated the Greys for the first time in five tries this year, 10-1, at Consol Energy Park.
This, however, is a story about Wild Things right-handed pitcher Matt Fraudin, a rookie out of Gardner-Webb University and an Upper St. Clair native. Fraudin worked quickly, threw strikes and got 11 groundball outs. In other words, he did all the things you’d expect from a veteran pitcher.
Fraudin (1-1) threw a three-hitter over eight innings, earned his first professional win and drew praise from his manager.
“Matt was the star tonight,” Washington’s Bob Bozzuto said. “If you throw strikes, good things are going to happen. You’re going to get people out.”
Fraduin struck out five, walked only two and threw 102 pitches, almost all two-seam fastballs.
“His fastball command was the best we’ve had all year,” Washington catcher John Fidanza said. “He threw maybe five offspeed pitches all night. His two-seamer had sink and we just let ’em hit it. That was a fun.”
Fraudin outdueled another former WPIAL pitcher, Greys starter Justin D’Alessandro (5-6), who played at Pittsburgh Central Catholic. D’Alessandro gave up seven runs in 4 1/3 innings. Kalamar hit his three-run homer in the first inning over the video board in right field. Mende made it 6-0 with his drive off the back wall of advertising in right field.
“It’s a lot easier to pitch when you get some runs behind you,” Fraudin said. “When I have a lead, I just try to throw strikes and work fast. I had some great defensive plays behind me.”
One of the defensive gems was a diving catch by shortstop Austin Wobrock on a line drive hit by Brandon Tierney that ended the third inning. First baseman Jimmy Yezzo also robbed Scott Carcaise of a hit when he dove to his left to snag a ground ball that ended the sixth.
Washington made it 7-0 in the fifth when a single by Wobrock scored David Popkins.
The Greys’ only run came when Dillon Haupt led off the seventh inning with a towering home run down the left-field line.
The Wild Things tacked on two more runs in the seventh, one coming when the Greys were charged with two errors on a pickoff play that allowed Wobrock to score from first base. The Greys’ fourth error led to the Wild Things’ final run in the eighth.
Washington leadoff hitter Andrew Heck reached base in all five of his plate appearances. … Four Greys pitchers combined to issue nine walks. … Prior to the game, Washington signed right-handed relief pitcher Jacob Westerhouse, a rookie out of North Alabama. Westerhouse was 5-0 with a 1.49 ERA in 19 games this spring. He made his pro debut by pitching a scoreless ninth inning.