Moving closer to first
JOLIET, Ill. – For the second time in less than 24 hours the Wild Things overcame a three-run deficit Wednesday afternoon and moved a little closer to first place in the Frontier League’s East Division.
Washington erased an early 3-0 deficit and scored three runs on sacrifice flies to defeat the first-place Joliet Slammers, 5-3, at Silver Cross Field.
The Wild Things won the series opener late Tuesday night, 8-7.
The wins pull Washington to within two games of Joliet with the series finale set for Thursday night.
The start of Wednesday’s game was delayed 61 minutes because of rain. When it did start, Joliet wasted no time forging a 3-0 lead in the first inning against Washington starting pitcher Chase Cunningham (3-4).
The Wild Things, however, responded with a three-run inning of their own in the top of the second. Logan Uxa, who had three hits for the second consecutive game, drove in Grant Fink with a triple and scored on a single by Austin Wobrock to make it 3-2. A sacrifice fly by Andrew Heck scored Alex McKeon to tie the score.
After the rocky first inning, Cunningham and relievers Devon Davis and Zac Grotz shut out Joliet the rest of the way. Cunningham gave up only four hits and one walk in six innings. Joliet had only one hit off Cunningham after the first inning.
Washington took a 4-3 lead in the seventh when a walk, hit batsman and groundout set up David Popkins’ sacrifice fly that scored Heck with the eventual game-winning run. The Wild Things made it 5-3 with an insurance run in the eighth as Uxa doubled and eventually scored on Justin Fox’s sac fly.
Grotz, who earlier this week was named to the Frontier League All-Star Game, worked out of a jam in the ninth inning to earn his ninth save.
Washington won Tuesday night by overcoming a 7-4 deficit. The Wild Things had an early 4-0 lead but Joliet scored seven unanswered runs off Washington starter Trevor Foss.
Oxa, however, hit a three-run homer to tie the score at 7-7 in the seventh inning and swing the game’s momentum. The Wild Things scored the game-winner in the eighth when Heck and Ricky Rodriguez hit consecutive one-out singles to put runners on first and third base. Newly signed Chris Grayson then beat out a potential double play grounder, allowing Heck to score.
Popkins hit a two-run homer in Washington’s three-run first inning.
Washington reliever Andrew Woeck (2-0), who threw three hitless and shutout innings, was the winning pitcher. Grotz pitched the ninth for a save.