Things win fourth straight

The last time the Gateway Grizzlies were at Consol Energy Park they didn’t muster a single baserunner.
They had a few runners Friday night, and even generated a couple of hits, but Washington starter Ernesto Zaragoza made sure the travel-weary Grizzlies offense remained in a deep slumber.
Zaragoza and two relievers combined on a two-hitter as the Wild Things extended their winning streak to four games by defeating Gateway, 3-1.
Zaragoza (6-6) threw seven strong innings, allowing only a second-inning single to former West Virginia University third baseman Grant Buckner and issuing a seventh-inning walk to Craig Massoni, who was with Washington in spring training and is on his third team this season.
“Ernie pitched a heck of a game,” Washington manager Bob Bozzuto said with a smile.
Zaragaoza struck out seven Gateway hitters.
“My fastball was good early in the game, my changeup came around as the game progressed and the curveball was good all along,” Zaragoza explained. “I had all my pitches working.”
Gateway’s offense didn’t have much working all night. The Grizzlies’ only run was unearned and aided by an error. Perhaps the Grizzlies were fatigued from a long journey to Washington. They left the St. Louis area at 5 a.m. Friday morning and didn’t pull into Washington until after 4 p.m., less than three hours before first pitch.
Gateway scored an unearned run against reliever Steve Messner in the eighth inning, but closer Jonathan Kountis got his ninth save with a 1-2-3 ninth inning that included two strikeouts.
Washington scored the only runs it would need in the second inning against Gateway starter Dakota Smith (2-2), who struggled with his control. First baseman Jimmy Yezzo, who has had a big homestand, led off the inning with a double to left centerfield and center fielder Danny Poma drew a walk. Shortstop Austin Wobrock followed with a double to left field, scoring Yezzo and Poma and giving the Wild Things a 2-0 lead.
The Wild Things had plenty of chances to add to the lead against Smith, a rookie out of Kansas. Smith gave up five hits and issued six walks in five innings. Washington stranded a baserunner in every inning but the eighth.
Washington finally padded its lead to 3-0 by scoring an insurance run in the sixth against Gateway reliever Kyle Bouman. Poma led off with a broken-bat single to left field and advanced to second base on a sacrifice bunt by Wobrock. After consecutive walks to Maxx Garrett and Andrew Heck loaded the bases, Matt Ford lofted a sacrifice fly to left field to score Poma.
Gateway threatened to score in the seventh when an error and walk put two runners on base with two outs. Bozzuto made a trip to the pitcher’s mound, and with lefty hitter Richard Seigel at the plate and Messner, a lefty pitcher who was ready in the bullpen, many thought Zaragoza’s night was over. But Bozzuto struck with Zaragoza, who ended the inning by striking out Siegel on a 3-2 curveball.
“I expected Boz to pull me,” Zaragoza admitted. “He asked how I felt and said this was the last hitter I was going to face. That shows he has confidence in me. Letting me stay in at that point in the game means a lot to me.”
In the eighth, Gateway’s Madison Beaird reached on a two-base throwing error by Washington third baseman Sam Mende and scored on a single up the middle by Ryan Johns, the No. 9 hitter in the Gateway lineup.
The run ended a streak of 17 consecutive scoreless innings at Consol Energy Park for Gateway. The last time the Grizzlies were in Washington was last August, when the Wild Things’ Matt Sergey pitched the only perfect game in the Frontier League’s 23-year history.
“Ernie has been gaining confidence and composure,” Bozzuto said. “He came through tonight, on a cool night, when the crowd was pumped and it was Fireworks Night.”
Prior to the game, Washington activated starting pitcher Kyle Helisek (4-2, 1.71), who has been on the disabled list since July 10. Helisek was one of two Washington players selected for last month’s Frontier League All-Star Game. … Gateway’s starting pitcher Sunday will be left-hander Dillon Haviland (1-2, 5.60), a South Fayette High School graduate who recently completed his college career at Duke. … Washington’s hitters drew eight more walks and have walked 32 times in the first four games of the homestand.