Sechrist shines in Wild Things win
With each of his outings, Wild Things starting pitcher Zander Sechrist could see the improvement. He worked deeper into the game, threw more pitches and allowed fewer runs. With each outing, he was more difficult to hit.
Though the results were getting better, there was one thing missing. The lefty-throwing pitcher was still without a win. And when your team is off to the kind of start the Wild Things are, that zero in the wins column for a starting pitcher stands out like a sore thumb.
The zero is no longer there.
Sechrist, who was the starting and winning pitcher for Tennessee in the final game of the 2024 College World Series final against Texas A&M, got his first Wild Things win Wednesday night with 6.1 stellar innings in a 3-2 victory over the Gateway Grizzlies at EQT Park.
Sechrist left with a one-run lead and relievers Chad Coles, Michael Foltz Jr. and Tyler Davis combined to get the final eight outs to preserve the win. Davis pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning for his fourth save.
In his fourth start of the year, Sechrist allowed only four hits and one walk. He struck out three. Twice he retired eight consecutive Gateway hitters.
“I struggled the first couple of outings, but it’s pro ball and sometimes things aren’t going to go your way. I’m getting more comfortable,” said Sechrist who was a reliever in the Minnesota Twins’ farm system last year.
“It had been a year since I had started, so I’m just getting back into things.”
Washington manager Tom Vaeth said Sechrist’s formula for success against Gateway was to throw more strikes early in the count and not try to nibble on the corners of the plate.
“We didn’t want him to be throwing darts out there and trying to be too fine. That’s what he had been doing and it’s hard for anybody to have success when you have three-ball counts on every hitter,” Vaeth said. “Tonight he did everything we asked him to do.
“You have to remember that he’s only 24 years old. That’s what this league is. You have to let young kids figure it out on the fly.”
Gateway scored in the top of the first inning, using a leadoff walk by Victor Castillo, a sacrifice bunt by Tate Wargo and Dale Thomas’ two-out RBI single up the middle to forge a 1-0 lead.
Gateway starter Xavier Lovin (0-3) suffered a bout of wildness in the third inning and it helped Washington take the lead. Designated hitter Hunter Stokely singled through the left side of the infield with one out for the Wild Things’ first hit of the game. With two outs, Antonio Monroy singled to center field and Caleb Ketchup followed with a slow chopper between the mound and home plate. The Grizzlies were slow to field it and made a soft throw to first base that the speedy Ketchup beat out for an infield single that loaded the bases.
E.J. Cumbo and Andrew Czech drew consecutive walks to bring home a pair of runs and give Washington a 2-1 lead.
The walk continued to be a problem for Gateway pitchers. In the Grizzlies’ last three games, they have issued 24 walks.
Washington catcher Isaias Quiroz led off the bottom of the fifth inning by hitting the first pitch from Lovin for a solo home run down the left-field line to push the Wild Things’ lead to 3-1. It was Quiroz’s second home run of the season.
Gateway answered in the seventh when Thomas hit his second home run in as many days, a leadoff shot to left field that made it 3-2.
The Grizzlies loaded the bases with two outs in the seventh but Coles got Castillo to ground out and end the threat.
Extra bases
The time of game was a mere two hours and eight minutes. … Gateway turned three double plays. … Washington is 13-3 in games it scores the first run, and 3-4 when the opponent scores first. … Gateway is 10-7 against right-handed starting pitchers and 1-5 against lefties. … Washington’s pitchers lead the Frontier League with 13 quality starts. Only one other team (Windy City) has more than six. … The series finale is tonight at 7:05.