Aug 16, 2015 3 min read

NORMAL, Ill. – The Wild Things continue to find new ways to lose.

Normal outfielder Cameron Monger reached first on a dropped third strike in the bottom of the 10th inning and came around to score on a walk-off RBI single by Ozney Guillen as the CornBelters defeated Washington, 5-4, at the Corn Crib Sunday to secure the series-sweep.

Wild Things relief pitcher Jonathan Kountis pitched a scoreless ninth inning and got Monger to strike out swining on three pitches in the 10th, but the ball got away from catcher Maxx Garrett to allow Monger to reach safely.

He stole second and advanced to third when Jason Merjano grounded out to first base before Guillen, who went 3-for-5 with a run, hit the second pitch of the next at bat for the game-winning single. The Wild Things (32-46) have lost four consecutive games – three by one run.

Washington took the early lead when it loaded the bases and Jimmy Yezzo hit a ground ball, but the throw home was dropped by Normal catcher Jim Vahalik to make it 1-0.

First-place Normal (47-31) tied the score 1-1 in the bottom of the third when Vahalik hit a lead-off double and scored on a fielder’s choice. The CornBelters added two runs in the fifth when Vahalik’s RBI single scored Guillen and Santiago Chirino drove him in with a single for a 3-1 lead.

Normal pitcher Chirs Carmain retired 15 consecutive batters until the seventh inning, when the Wild Things tid it in the seventh. Daniel Poma and Austin Wobrock hit back-to-back two-out singles. Garrett, who went 2-for-4 with two RBI, drove in Poma with a single and Andrew Heck added an RBI base hit for a 4-3 advantage.

It did not last long.

Sam Judah hit a lead-off single in the bottom of the eighth inning and advanced to third on two ground outs. With two outs, Vahalik hit an RBI single, but Wasington tied the score in the ninth when Garrett’s double scored David Popkins. Cole Brocker earned the win after pitching two innings, allowing one run on two hits while striking out one.

In Saturday’s game, Judah and Mark Micowski each had an RBI single in a two-run sixth inning that lead Normal to a 5-3 win over Washington.

Aaron Dudley smacked a two-run home run in a three-run first inning to help Normal wipe away an early 2-0 lead by the Wild Things. Micowski tripled and scored on a single by Chirino for the first run of the inning. Dudley followed with his home run.

Washington took a 2-0 lead in the top of the inning when Sam Mende brought Heck in on a book-rule double and a sacrifice fly by Scott Kalamar drove in Matt Ford, who had singled.

Washington scored a run in the seventh when Yezzo doubled and Heck singled.

Michael Schweis got the win, allowing three earned runs in 6 2/3 innings.

He struck out eight and walked two. Tim Flight took the loss, allowing five runs in five innings.