Wild Things split twin bill with Florence
When playing a doubleheader, the goal always is to win two games but any team will settle for one victory. After all, sweeps are difficult to accomplish.
The Wild Things had to be content with one victory Sunday against Florence, and they had a guy who goes by the name Three deliver their game-winner.
Washington won the day’s opening game, which was the completion of Saturday’s suspended contest. Catcher Three Hillier lined a bases-loaded single through the right side of a drawn-in infield to score Wagner Lagrange and give the Wild Things a 4-3 victory in 10 innings.
Florence won the nightcap, 5-2, behind Zac Westcott, the Frontier League’s all-time winningest pitcher. The 33-year-old Westcott allowed five hits in a seven-inning complete game, beating Washington for the second time this year and with two different teams. It was Westcott’s 55th career win in seven seasons in the Frontier.
“Won another series – that’s three in a row coming out of the all-star break,” Washington manager Tom Vaeth pointed out. “The bad part is all we have to show for it is we lost a game in the standings. We won the series, and if we continue to do that, then we’re going to be in good position at the end of the season.”
It was a frustrating day overall for the Wild Things, who lost ground to first-place Lake Erie in the Central Division. The Crushers completed a weekend series sweep of Mississippi and moved 1½ games ahead of the Wild Things.
Washington had plenty of opportunities for a series sweep of their own but its hitters went 6-for-31 with runners in scoring position in the doubleheader.
In the opener, Hillier – his real first name is William. His grandfather is a Sr. and his father is Jr., thus the Three nickname – delivered his big hit with the bases loaded. Washington began the bottom of the 10th inning with Lagrange as the tiebreaker runner at second base. Andrew Czech put down a sacrifice bunt that moved Lagrange to third base, and Florence chose to intentionally walk Ethan Wilder and Cole Fowler to load the bases.
Hillier admitted that when the inning began he wasn’t thinking that he’d get a chance to bat with the winning run on base.
“I was just thinking that I had to do my job,” Hillier said. “Whether it’s put down a bunt or execute a hit-and-run, we’re all trying to do our jobs.
“I was trying to hit a sacrifice fly. I got something that I could pull. I was just trying to win the ballgame and not let one get past me (for strike three).”
Hiller’s game-winner came after Florence erased a late two-run deficit by hitting two solo home runs, by former Wild Things outfielder Anthony Brocato and Michael Ballard, in the eighth inning off reliever Joe Nahas. It was Brocato’s 14th home run in only 26 games with the Y’alls.
The Florence home runs spoiled a quality start by Washington’s Kobe Foster. It was a start that covered two days. Foster was on the mound Saturday night and had faced three batters when a thunderstorm with heavy rain rolled in and caused play to be suspended with two outs in the top of the first inning.
Foster returned Sunday afternoon and pitched through the seventh inning. He allowed seven hits but only one run. Foster walked one, struck out four and, with the help of a double play, retired the last 10 batters he faced.
“Kobe competed from the start. He started the game (Saturday) night and didn’t have his best stuff early today, but he got better as the game went along,” Hillier said. “He competed the entire game.”
“That was a really good performance by Kobe,” Vaeth said. “We got him out at only 95 pitches over the two days. He really didn’t have many stressful pitches to make.”
Washington reliever Andrew Herbert (4-0) held Florence scoreless in the top of the 10th with help from right fielder Jeff Liquori. With Florence pinch-runner Hector Nieves on second base as the tiebreaker runner, Ballard flied out to Liquori in medium-depth right field for the first out. Nieves tagged and attempted to advance to third base, but Liquori’s throw was strong and on target, beating Nieves by 20 feet.
In the second game, Florence’s Hank Zeisler homered and T.J. Reeves scored two runs. That was enough support for Westcott (4-3), who beat Washington earlier this year while playing for Joliet.
“In the second game, the biggest factor was we chased out of strike zone too much,” Vaeth said.
Washington’s Tommy Caufield had a pair of RBI doubles in the opening game and scored on a double by Czech. Caufield also had a pair of RBI hits in the nightcap.
Extra bases
Czech’s double in the suspended game was the 90th two-bagger of his career, making him the Wild Things’ all-time leader. Chris Sidick (2005-11) hit 89 doubles. … Hillier went 3-for-3 with two sacrifice bunts in the suspended game despite not being in the starting lineup. Washington catcher Jordan Siket started the game but he retired Saturday night and was replaced in the lineup by Hillier.