May 18, 2023 3 min read

The Wild Things and New York Boulders were shorthanded – because of suspension and worn-out bullpens – for their series finale Thursday night.

From Washington’s standpoint, it was important that starting pitcher Kobe Foster work deep into the game because relievers Lukas Young, Andrew Mitchell and Christian James had pitched each of the first two nights of the series.

It didn’t look very promising when Foster and the Wild Things found themselves trailing 2-0 only four batters into the game.

Foster, however, regrouped and the lefty quickly returned to the form that made him the Frontier League’s Rookie of the Year last season.

Foster allowed only three hits and those two early runs over six innings, and the Wild Things scored seven times in the fifth en route to an 8-2 victory and series sweep of the Boulders.

Washington is off to a 5-1 start to the season.

Both teams were without the services of their manager because of Wednesday night’s postgame shouting and shoving incident. Washington’s Tom Vaeth was suspended by the Frontier League for two games and New York manager T.J. Stanton received a one-game suspension.

Washington pitching coach Alex Boshers and hitting coach Austin Pascarella split the managing duties in Vaeth’s absence. Pascarella replaced Vaeth as the third base coach.

Foster (1-0) got off to a rocky start as he walked New York’s Giovanni Garbella to start the game, David Vinsky followed with a single and Pat Kivlehan, who hit nine home runs for the Cincinnati Reds in 2017, doubled off the wall in left field to give the Boulders a 1-0 lead. A sacrifice fly by Tucker Nathans made it 2-0.

After the first frame, Foster threw five consecutive scoreless innings. He walked three and struck out five.

New York starter Tyler Keysor, a rookie out of the University of Miami (Fla.), went only four innings, giving up one run, a third-inning RBI single by right fielder Wagner Lagrange that scored catcher J.C. Santini.

The Boulders went rummaging through the bullpen in the fifth and used three relievers who combined to issue four walks, hit a batter and give up seven runs. Brandon Backman (0-1), a rookie who was making his professional debut, walked all three batters he faced and was charged with the loss.

In the fifth, designated hitter Melvin Novoa, who had the game-winning hit Wednesday night, smacked a two-run single and Santini hit a bases-loaded triple that made it an 8-2 game.

After Foster exited, Zach Blankenship tossed two scoreless innings and Anthony Boix pitched the ninth.

Notes

Washington begins a three-game series tonight at Tri-City. The Wild Things and ValleyCats will play next weekend in Washington. … The Wild Things are 12-6 all-time against the Boulders. … After having a 25-1 record over his final two years in college at Tennessee Wesleyan, Foster is 9-1 with the Wild Things. … Attendance was 1,315. … The next home game is Tuesday (7:05 p.m.) against Florence.