Wild Things have perfect road trip
By The Observer-Reporter
TROY, N.Y. – An imperfect homestand followed by a perfect road trip. That sums up the Wild Things’ season to date.
After being swept at home in their season-opening series, Washington hit the road and returned with five wins in as many games, capped by a 5-3 victory over the Tri-City ValleyCats on Sunday at Joseph L. Bruno Stadium.
Zach Kirby (1-0) pitched five innings for his first professional victory, Carson Clowers hit a two-run homer and scored three times, and rookie Hunter Stevens picked up his first save.
Kirby allowed only four hits and one unearned run. He tied his career high with eight strikeouts. Kirby was staked to a 2-0 lead in the first inning when Caleb McNeely walked and Clowers followed with a home run off Easton Klein (0-1), a Point Park product.
Clowers singled in the third and scored on a double by Tommy Caufield. In the fifth, Quincy Latimore hit a solo homer to center field that made it 5-0.
Andrew Czech had an RBI single in the eighth that scored Clowers and put the Wild Things up 5-1. Tri-City answered an unearned run in the bottom of the eighth and added another in the ninth. The ValleyCats used three walks by Stevens in the ninth and a routine ground ball that failed to produce an out to score one run.
With the bases loaded, Stevens got another ground ball, this one ending the game.
Washington begins a six-game homestand Tuesday at 10:35 a.m. against the Evansville Otters.