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When Sports Were Played: Wild Things proved strange things happen in Washington

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Today’s “When Sports Were Played” takes a look back at the Frontier League game between the Washington Wild Things and Kalamazoo Kings that was played Sept. 3, 2009, and ended with the rarest play in baseball: a triple play.

During their eight-year existence, the Wild Things have played many games at Consol Energy Park that produced unlikely, unthinkable, how-did-that-happen finishes.

Kalamazoo manager Fran Riordan even said last year that “strange things happen in Washington.”

What happened in the ninth inning Thursday night, however, was simply the most unlikely finish in Wild Things history. How do you top a game-ending triple play?

With Washington leading Kalamazoo 3-1, the Kings put runners on first and second with no outs and sent left-handed pinch-hitter Destan McKonnen to the plate.

With the Kings opting not to advance the runners with a bunt, Makonnen turned on a pitch from Washington reliever Chris Kupillas and hit a line drive to the right side of the infield. The ball seemed destined to go down the right-field line for extra bases and at least one Kalamazoo run. Washington’s Grant Psomas, however, had other plans.

Psomas, Washington’s first baseman, made a leaping grab of the line drive and raced back to the bag, easily beating Matt Maloney, who was trapped too far off base for the second out. Then, Psomas spun around and fired a strike to shortstop Brett Grandstrand at second base, forcing out Amos Ramon for a game-ending triple play and 3-1 Washington victory.

“What a way to end a game,” Washington manager Mark Mason said. “Usually, the wild things happen here on the offensive side. I can’t remember anything defensively like that.”

It was the first triple play in Wild Things history.

“I actually jumped too soon,” Psomas said. “I thought the ball was hit a lot harder than it was. He got it off the end of the bat, and I caught the ball on my way down.

“I was able to catch the runner at second base out of the corner of my eye. He was pretty far off the base, so I went to first for the easy one and then turned and took a shot at second.”

The triple play was the baseball equivalent of an unexpected punch to the gut for Kalamazoo. The fading Kings began the day with a chance to clinch a playoff berth. Now, their lead in the East Division has dwindled to a half-game over charging Lake Erie, a 5-4 winner at Florence. Kalamazoo ends the season with a weekend series at Traverse City while Lake Erie hosts Midwest.

The triple play secured the win for Washington but the Wild Things won because of the pitching of Zach Groh (6-5) and some stellar defense. Groh allowed only four hits and one run over eight-plus innings. The only pitch Groh would like to have back is the one Joseph Ramos hit for a home run in the eighth.

“Groh was outstanding,” Mason said.

So was the sliding catch Chris Sidick made in right centerfield and the diving backhanded grab by Matt Sutton on a fly ball down the right-field line. Both prevented Kalamazoo runs from scoring.

Sidick, who went 0-for-3 and is still tied for the Frontier League’s all-time hits lead, walked in the first inning and scored on a single by Psomas. Sidick gave Washington a 2-0 lead in the fifth when his sacrifice fly brought in Michael Parker.

The lead went to 3-0 in the seventh when the Wild Things knocked out Kings starter Joe DiPietro (8-7). Grandstrand tripled down the right-field line and scored on Josh Blackstock’s double up the left-centerfield alley.

“That was an entertaining game,” Mason said. “We won two of three at the end of the year from the team with the best record in the league. That says a lot about our guys.”

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