Aug 13, 2023 2 min read

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Anytime a team loses a close game, several plays are brought up in discussion that may have changed the course of the contest for the team that comes up short.

Normally, the chatter is just that, but for the Washington Wild Things, the ending to Sunday’s finale against Evansville at Bosse Field had a play going in the Otters’ favor that will sting for a while.

With Washington (36-42) trailing 1-0 heading into the top of the ninth, Robert Chayka was hit-by-pitch, stole second, and after Scotty Dubrule walked, Tristan Peterson’s groundout to third base moved Chayka and Dubrule up 90 feet.

Pinch-hitter Tommy Caufield roped a single to right field, but Evansville right fielder Jeffrey Baez fired a strike to Justin Felix at home plate, who applied the tag on Chayka for the force out at home.

Caufield advanced to second on the play and Dubrule to third, but the Otters’ Jake Polancic got Carson Clowers to strike out swinging for his 12th save and a 1-0 victory for Evansville (42-35).

The Otters scored the only run they would need in the first, as Dakota Phillips’ single to right center scored Noah Myers, who had walked and stole second.

Evansville starter Zach Smith improved to 6-6 after allowing two hits over seven innings. He walked and struck out four. Kevin Davis yielded one hit with two strikeouts in the eighth.

Wild Things starter Zach Kirby dropped to 0-2 after allowing the one run on three hits over 5 1/3. He struck out three and walked five. Stephen Knapp, Matt Dallas and Justin Goossen-Brown kept Washington in the game without allowing in a hit in the final 2 2/3.