Alone at the top: Wild Things rally to beat Boulders
Mark Marietta/For the Observer-Reporter
Bralin Jackson, left, congratulates Hector Roa after a home run by Roa this summer. Roa will return for a fifth Frontier League season next summer.
Mark Marietta/For the Observer-Reporter
Wild Things center fielder Hector Roa clubs a two-run homer in the first inning Thursday against the New York Boulders.
Mark Marietta/For the Observewr-Reporter
Washington third baseman Andrew Sohn slides into stealing second, barely beating the tag by the New York Boulders' Zack Kirtley and putting himself in position to score his team's opening run in the first inning Thursday.
Mark Marietta/For the Observer-Reporter
McKenzie Mills pitches in relief for the Wild Things Thursday night against the New York Boulders at Wild Things Park.
As improbable as it seemed two months ago, the Wild Things are in first place today.
Alone in first place.
Washington completed a series sweep of the New York Boulders, rallying for an 8-7 victory Thursday night.
Combined with Quebec’s 6-1 win over Sussex County, the Wild Things moved one game ahead of the Miners in the Northeast Division.
The latest win for Washington is part of a run that has seen the Wild Things win 35 of 52 games and go from nine games out of first place on July 5 to one game ahead.
Washington and Sussex County will open a pivotal four-game series tonight in New Jersey. The Wild Things have 10 games remaining in the Frontier League regular season. The Miners have 11 to play.
Washington completed its second series sweep of New York at Wild Things Park by rallying for two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning, the game-winner coming on a two-out single by designated hitter Trevor Casanova off reliever Zach Schneider that scored Hector Roa from second base.
Reliever Nathan Alexander (3-4). who faced three batters in the eighth and retired only one hitter, was the losing pitcher.
The Wild Things entered the eighth trailing 7-6. Alexander was brought in to replace Boulders starter Danny Wirchansky, who threw 124 pitches over seven innings.
Bralin Jackson drew a leadoff walk and was bunted to second base by left fielder Grant Heyman. A passed ball allowed Jackson to move to third base, and one pitch later Alexander uncorked a wild pitch that tied the score.
Roa, who homered in the first inning, then lined a shot to right centerfield and slid into second base with a hustling double. He was still there one out later, but Casanova singled to the right of second base against a Boulders infield that was overshifted, expecting a ball to be pulled far to the right side.
B.J. Sabol (2-0), the third of four Washington pitchers, was the winner with one inning of relief. Zach Strecker retired all three batters he faced to get his 21st save.
New York took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning against Washington starter Keven Pimentel.
The Boulders’ first run came when Jack Sundberg scored from second base on a bunt up the first-base line by Milton Smith Jr. The ball hugged the baseline and Pimentel let it roll, hoping it would go foul. When it didn’t, and with Sundberg rounding third base, Pimentel picked up the ball and fired it to home plate. Umpire Ron Whiting Sr. ruled that catcher Cody Young’s tag missed Sundberg and the Boulders led 1-0.
Washington answered with four runs in the bottom of the first. Jackson doubled home Andrew Sohn and Scotty Dubrule, and Roa belted a two-run homer to left centerfield off Wirchansky. It was Roa’s 12th home run of the season and his 57th as a member of the Wild Things, which ties the franchise record held by Jacob Dempsey (2008-10).
Washington committed four errors in the game, including one in each of the first three innings, which led to two unearned runs, giving the Boulders a 5-4 lead.
Washington tied it 5-5 in the third when Dubrule hit a hustling double to left centerfield and scored on a one-out single by Jackson, who did not play in the Wednesday doubleheader because of illness.
New York regained the lead with a three-run fifth. Paul Caufield’s sacrifice fly scored Zach Kirtley and tied the score at 5-5. Catcher Phil Capra, the No. 9 hitter in the Boulder’s batting order, followed with a two-run homer off Washington reliever McKenzie Mills. It was the switch-hitting Capra’s second home run in as many nights, one from each side of the plate.
Washington closed to within 7-6 in the sixth. Heyman led off with a surprise bunt single, Roa followed with a single and Tristan Peterson advanced the runners with a bunt. Casanova then hit a sac fly to left field to score Heyman.