Aug 19, 2015 3 min read

The Wild Things have to be wondering why they didn’t do this when a playoff spot was within sight.

Washington, which had the lowest batting average in the Frontier League almost all season, scored six runs in the bottom of the first inning, bookended it with a four-run eighth, produced 15 hits and defeated the Windy City ThunderBolts for the second consecutive night, 12-4, at Consol Energy Park.

The Wild Things will try for their second home series sweep of the year in the finale tonight.

Seven different Washington starters had at least one hit. One of the two who didn’t was designated hitter David Popkins, but he walked twice, scored twice and hit a sacrifice fly. Every batter either scored a run or had an RBI.

First baseman Jimmy Yezzo led Washington’s hit parade against four Windy City pitchers by going 3-for-5 with four RBI. Yezzo capped the night by hitting a three-run opposite-field homer just inside the left-field foul pole in the eighth.

Center fielder Danny Poma tripled and drove in three runs, and shortstop Austin Wobrock had two doubles among his three hits.

Yezzo, Poma and Wobrock, the 6-7-8 hitters in the Washington lineup, combined to go 8-for-14 with nine RBI.

Washington set the tone for the game in the first inning, when seven of the first eight Washington batters reached base against Windy City starter Zac Wasserman (4-5), who entered the game with a 6.04 ERA and lasted only one-third of an inning.

Andrew Heck and Matt Ford started the bottom of the first with consecutive singles and Sam Mende drew a walk to load the bases. A single by Scott Kalamar made it 1-0 and Popkins followed with a sacrifice fly.

A solid single by Yezzo scored Mende to make it 3-0, and Poma followed with a two-run triple to the angle in left centerfield. Poma made it 6-0 when he scored on Austin Wobrock’s double.

That was all for Wasserman, who was spotted a 1-0 lead when the ThunderBolts scored in the top of the first against Washington starter Luke Wilkins (7-3).

Wilkins, who took a no-hitter into the seventh inning in his last start, wasn’t as sharp this time as he had to fight off a Windy City comeback. ThunderBolts first baseman Austin Gallagher, a Pennsylvania native, hit two solo home runs, the latter coming in the sixth and was followed by a homer by Max White that pulled Windy City to within 6-4. It was the third home run in as many games for White, a former University of Oklahoma standout.

Wilkins gave up seven hits and three runs over 5 2/3 innings. Relievers Matt Purnell, Steve Messner and Tim Giel combined for 3 1/3 scoreless innings.

Washington made it 8-4 with two runs in the eighth, scoring on RBI singles by Poma and Wobrock.

Pitcher Jon Klein, who was acquired Monday in a trade with Southern Illinois, will make his Wild Things debut tonight. Klein (3-0, 2.58) was the PSAC West Division Pitcher of the Year this season at Mercyhurst. … Washington leadoff hitter and Heck went 3-for-5 and raised his batting average to .349. … Windy City second baseman Mike Torres, who had his 27-game on-base streak end Tuesday, drew a walk in the second inning.