It’s necessary: Wild Things win again, force Game 5
With backs firmly against the wall for two nights, the Wild Things had the mantra of “Just get to tomorrow.”
Now, after two wins, there are no more tomorrows for Washington or Evansville. All that is left is Game 5, winner take all, in the best-of-5 Midwest Conference finals.
Washington hit three home runs, Zach Kirby pitched seven stellar innings and the Wild Things defeated Evansville 9-3 Saturday night to even the series at 2-2.
Game 5 is scheduled for 4:05 p.m. today at EQT Park. The home team has won each of the first four games in the series.
The winner of the series will play Ottawa in the Frontier League championship series that is scheduled to begin Tuesday night at the Midwest Conference champion.
“We have to come out (in Game 5) and play the way we did tonight,” said Washington center fielder Caleb Ketchup, who provided the key hit in the game, a three-run homer in the bottom of the first inning.
Ketchup’s blast capped a five-run bottom of the first for the Wild Things and that was enough support for Kirby and two relievers. Kirby allowed six hits and three runs in seven innings. He walked one and struck out six over a 104-pitch outing.
“All year, Zach has been one of our guys,” Ketchup said. “When you come to the park and he’s pitching, you know he’ll throw the ball over the plate and let the people behind him make plays. If we can score a few runs then we’ll win.”
Washington scored in only two innings but the runs came in bunches. There was the five-run first inning and a four-run seventh that featured back-to-back home runs by Anthony Brocato and Jeff Liquori.
Evansville scored in the top of the first inning when Amani Jones and Dennis Pierce, a pair of hitters who played their college baseball in the PSAC, had consecutive base hits. Jones smacked a one-out single and Pierce followed by belting a 1-2 pitch into the gap in right centerfield for a double that brought home Jones.
Washington counterpunched in the bottom of the first and it left Evansville staggered.
Antonio Monroy led off the bottom of the first by drawing a walk off Evansville starter Dylan Zentko, Kyle Edwards followed with a double off the centerfield wall, moving Monroy to third base. Andrew Czech was hit by a pitch, loading the bases.
One out later, Liquori doubled into the gap in left centerfield to give Washington a 2-1 lead.
Evansville manager Andy McCauley, who used eight pitchers in Game 1, went to his bullpen at that point, after only five batters.
Anthony Tomczak, a righthander, replaced Zentko, a lefty. The first batter Tomczak faced, Wagner Lagrange, hit a one-hopper to drawn-in first baseman Chris Kwitzer. Czech was running on contact from third base and easily thrown out at home plate for the inning’s second out.
Ketchup then hit a 2-2 pitch the opposite way, to right field, for a three-run homer and 5-1 Wild Things lead.
“I am at my best when I hit the ball the opposite way,” Ketchup explained. “There were two strikes on me and I had to protect both sides of the plate and against two different kinds of pitches. I got something that was out over the plate.”
Evansville’s coaches were upset after the home run because they believed Ketchup should have been called out on strikes on the pitch before the big blast, and they let home plate umpire Jose Navas – a former major league umpire – know their feelings as play was momentarily stopped.
“Not only did we punch back in the first inning, but that was a big at-bat by Caleb Ketchup, especially after the decision they made to make a pitching change that quick,” Vaeth said. “That was a big first inning.”
From that point, all the Wild Things could do was try to hang on. They produced little offensively after the Ketchup home run. Tomczak tossed 4 2/3 innings of relief and the only other hit he allowed was a single to Ketchup in the fourth. Tomczak struck out nine, the most by any Otters pitcher all season.
Washington batters struck out 15 times.
“That kid (Tomczak) out of the bullpen, at one point the 12 outs he recorded after Caleb’s home run, nine of them came on strikeouts,” Vaeth pointed out. “We didn’t even put the ball in play.”
Meanwhile, Evansville pulled closer in the fourth. Cleanup hitter Blake Robertson started the uprising with a bunt single against the infield shirt. LG Castillo followed with a single on an 0-2 pitch, and Sam Linscott laced a two-out, two-run triple that made it 5-3.
Kirby was able to strand Lincott at third base and worked out of a tight spot in the seventh. The Otters had Lincott at third base with one out when TJ Salvaggio hit a bouncer to Monroy at third base. His throw to catcher Isaias Quiroz caught Linscott in a rundown for the inning’s second out. Kirby ended the inning with a strikeout, then pumped his fist and let out a loud yell as he walked off the mound.
In the bottom of the seventh, Monroy had an infield single with one out and Edwards singled to left field off former Pitt pitcher Chase Kriebel. The Otters then went to their bullpen for the fourth time, bringing in righthander Alex Valdez to face right-handed hitting Brocato.
Brocato greeted Valdez by hitting a pitch at the bottom of the strike zone and lofting it 407 feet over the scoreboard beyond left centerfield for a three-run homer. Liquori followed with a 416-foot home run to center field that made it 9-3.
Michael Foltz Jr. and Kenton Egbert followed Kirby on the mound, each tossing one scoreless inning.
Extra bases
Washington will pitch Kelvin Perez in Game 5. Evansville is expected to start Ryan Wiltse, who started Game 1. … Evansville starting catcher Logan Brown did not make the trip to Washington. He is in concussion protocol after taking a foul ball off his mask during Game 2. Mark Black, who played his high school ball in the WPIAL at Serra Catholic, has caught the last two games in place of Brown.