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Wild Things sloppy in 9-1 loss to ThunderBolts

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Wild Things

Holly Tonini/Observer-Reporter

Wild Things third baseman Mike Hill dives in foul territory to catch a bunt attempt by Windy City’s Axel Johnson.

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Windy City’s Tim Zier get the first out of a double play against Wild Thing’s Hector Roa

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Wild Things

Holly Tonini/Observer-Reporter

Wild Things pitcher Michael Austin started the game against Windy City Thursday.

The Windy City ThunderBolts had a rollicking time at the Wild Things’ expense Thursday night.

And nobody could blame the ThunderBolts for having the music blaring in their noisy clubhouse after they finished off a 9-1 victory over Wild Things to win the final two contests in the three-game series.

For the ThunderBolts, it was a long time coming.

It was the first series win for Windy City since mid-May against Florence and the ThunderBolts’ first back-to-back wins in 44 days.

Axel Johnson and Tim Zier each homered and drove in three runs and Jonathan McCray had a two-run single in Windy City’s four-run seventh inning, when the ThunderBolts broke open a close game.

“We made some changes and have some pretty good players now,” said Windy City manager Ron Biga after his team improved its record to 14-27.

“We have real competitive guys. It would have been easy to point fingers when things weren’t going our way, but they kept grinding. I’m proud of the attitude they kept during a rough stretch.”

A rough stretch is what the Wild Things are in. They have lost six of eight but are tied for first place in the Frontier League’s East Division with Lake Erie, which scored three times in the ninth inning last night to rally for a win at Traverse City.

What is more concerning to Washington than its spot in the standings is its recent play, which has been sloppy. The Wild Things committed three errors in the series finale and three runners made outs on the bases. The bullpen also was touched up for seven hits and six runs in 2 2/3 innings.

“We didn’t get shutdown innings the last two days and that killed us,” Washington manager Gregg Langbehn said.

“We haven’t played well recently, but we’re not going to tear apart the roster. I feel good enough about this team. There were a lot of teaching moments tonight. Those are correctable mistakes.”

The game was a pitchers’ duel into the sixth inning between the Wild Things’ Michael Austin (0-1) and Windy City’s Paddy Leded (3-4). Austin was dominant as he gave up only two hits and struck out 10 in 6 1/3 innings. Austin threw 29 of his first 33 pitches for strikes and his fastball touched 93 mph.

Austin, who was signed last Saturday after one year in the Kansas City Royals’ system, didn’t allow a hit until Omar Obregon singled to lead off the fourth inning. Zier then hit a two-run homer to left field to give Windy City a 2-0 lead. It was the first pitch Austin threw in the game while behind in the count (1-0).

“I really like what I saw from him,” Langbehn said of Austin.

Ledet, a lefty, took a shutout into the sixth but left with two outs as James Harris was on third base and Carter McEachern was on first. Windy City brought in right-handed sidearmer Drew Peden to face Kyle Pollock, who laced a run-scoring single that cut that the T-Bolts’ lead to 2-1.

“We wanted to give Pollock something different to look at,” Biga explained for lifting Ledet. “Pollock has transformed himself into a good and dangerous hitter. We thought that was the biggest at-bat of the game so we made the move.”

That was the only run Washington would get.

The T-Bolts broke the game open in the seventh when Austin issued a one-out walk and was replaced by Davis Adkins, who gave up three singles and walk as the T-Bolts pushed the lead to 6-1.

Johnson hit a three-run homer, his fourth of the season, in the ninth.

“We got some good, timely hitting,” Biga said.

That’s something Washington did not produce as the Wild Things went 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position.

Extra bases

The Wild Things and ThunderBolts have played 128 times, including the playoffs. The series is tied 64-64. … Washington begins a three-game series at home tonight against the Schaumburg Boomers.

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