Wild Things sweep Evansville
EVANSVILLE, Ind. — The Wild Things scored five runs in the sixth inning for a 6-3 victory over Evansville on Thursday night to complete a three-game sweep against the Otters.
Washington ran its road record to 8-0. The Wild Things travel to Florence on Friday for the opening of a three-game series with the Y’alls (6-10).
Washington (12-5) broke a 1-1 tie with its five runs on five hits in the frame for a 6-1 advantage.
Andrew Czech and Tyreque Reed started the Wild Things’ big inning with singles and advanced to second and third on a wild pitch before scoring on Robert Chayka’s double to right field for a 3-1 lead. Chayka scored on Ethan Wilder’s base hit for a three-run advantage.
Wilder advanced to second on the play and moved to third on a groundout. Ricardo Sanchez was hit-by-pitch and Caleb McNeely walked to set the stage for Tommy Caufield’s two-run single to right field that plated Wilder and Sanchez for a five-run lead.
Evansville (5-13) cut the deficit to 6-3 with an unearned run in the bottom of the sixth and scored a run in the seventh. The Otters loaded the bases in the eighth after Washington pitcher Frankie Giuliano hit three straight batters, but teammate Christian Jones came in and recorded two strikeouts and a pop up to get the Wild Things out of the jam without allowing a run.
Justin Goossen-Brown pitched a scoreless ninth for his first save of the season.
Zach Kirby earned the win after allowing three runs (two earned) on seven hits over 6.2 innings. He had seven strikeouts.
Evansville took a 1-0 lead in the second on a solo home run by Randy Bednar, but Washington tied the game in the third when Sanchez doubled and scored on Caufield’s fielder’s choice. Caufield has 18 RBI in the 17 games this year.