Jun 29, 2023 3 min read

POMONA, N.Y. — The Wild Things will be glad to escape from New York after losing two games in which they had sizable leads in the last inning.

Washington (17-25) had a six-run lead in the seventh on Wednesday before losing to New York (23-17) in the ninth, 10-9, in Game 1 of a doubleheader. Frontier League games are seven innings when a doubleheader is contested. 

The Wild Things had a similar result Thursday in holding a four-run lead in the ninth before allowing a grand slam with two outs. The Boulders scored an unearned run in the 10th to win in walk-off fashion, 11-10.

Washington scored two runs in the top of the ninth when Thomas Caufield blasted a two-run homer to center field that also scored Tristan Peterson, who had singled for a 10-6 advantage.

With one out in the home team’s ninth, Gabriel Garcia was hit-by-pitch before the Wild Things recorded two outs and appeared to be on their way to a series victory. 

To the dismay of the Washington faithful that made the trip to New York or were watching online, Chirs Kwitzer singled up the middle and David Vinsky walked before Mark McDermott hit a blast to left field to force extra innings. 

McDermott was 4-for-4 with five RBI. He hit a solo shot in the fourth.

Washington appeared to be in good shape to send the game to the 11th after Joe DeLuca was gunned down at third when Giovanni Garbella reached on a fielder’s choice, but Pat Kivlehan reached on an error and Garbella scored on Garcia’s base hit to left field.

Dylan Smith struck out all three batters he faced in the 10th to even his record at 3-3.

Will Solomon fell to 0-2 despite not allowing an earned run, as he pitched the 10th.

The Wild Things came out swinging and scored three runs in the first and one in the second for a 4-0 lead. 

Peterson singled in Anthony Brocato and Scotty Dubrule in the first before Andrew Czech scored when Robert Chayka was hit-by-pitch with the bases loaded. Wagner Lagrange hit a solo homer to right in the second. 

The Boulders scored one run in the third on a Tucker Nathans’ sacrifice fly and added one in the fourth on McDermott’s first blast for a 4-2 Washington lead.

The Wild Things’ J.C. Santini hit a solo shot to left in the sixth for a three-run advantage before New York tied the game in the bottom of the frame on Vinksy’s run-scoring double and sacrifice flyouts from DeLuca and Garbella. 

Chayka’s RBI single in the eighth provided the visitors with a one-run cushion before he stole home as part of a double steal with Dubrule taking second base. Dubrule scored on Lagrange’s double to right for an 8-5 advantage.

Garbella’s run-scoring single through the left side of the infield cut New York’s deficit to 8-6 in the eighth.