Aug 29, 2025 2 min read

Jordan DiValerio pitched seven shutout innings with a season-high nine strikeouts, Three Hillier drove in three runs and the Wild Things kept their division title hopes alive with a 6-0 victory over the Down East Bird Dawgs 6-0 Friday night at EQT Park.

It was the second consecutive shutout for Washington pitching.

DiValerio and two relievers combined on a two-hitter as the Wild Things moved into a tie for first place with Lake Erie in the Frontier League’s Central Division.

Well, sort of a tie.

Because Lake Erie, which lost 3-2 at Joliet, has played two fewer games than Washington, the Crushers are .001 of a percentage point ahead of the Wild Things. There are two games remaining in the regular season. Washington must win one more remaining game than Lake Erie to garner the division title.

The Wild Things scored four times in the fourth inning against Down East starter Spencer Johnston, who pitched for the Wild Things in 2023. Eddie Hacopian drew a bases-loaded walk, Hiller had a two-run single to right field and Ben Watson made it 4-0 with an RBI single.

Hillier had a run-scoring single in the sixth inning and Pavin park hit a book-rule double that drove in the game’s final run in the eighth.