Late Leads Escape Washington in Nightcap Loss
FLORENCE, Ky. (August 3) - The Wild Things led 5-4 and 6-5 in the middle to late stages of Saturday's nightcap of the doubleheader in Florence, but couldn't make either lead hold up, eventually falling for the second time on the road trip and on the season by walk-off, 7-6 to the Freedom. For the second time, it was by an error, as Connor Crane doubled to lead the ninth off for Florence, advanced to third on an error and scored on a second error on the same play.
The Wild Things started the scoring with a two-run double by Hector Roa in the first inning before Florence scored four runs in the home half to take a 4-2 lead. JJ Fernandez hit a solo homer to bring the deficit to one in the fourth before the Wild Things took the lead on an RBI, infield single by Roa in the fifth and a pickoff rundown that allowed JR Davis, the go-ahead run, to score.
At 5-4 Washington, Taylor Bryant homered to start the sixth inning to tie the game before the Wild Things and Freedom both failed to score in the seventh inning. With two outs and Roa on third after his second double of the game and a groundout in the eighth, Alex Murphy inside-outed a pitch to right for a run-scoring single that gave Washington the 6-5 lead. It was let go when BJ Sabol, a strike away from escaping the eighth in his relief appearance mid inning, was called for a balk that tied the game.
Washington had the go-ahead run at second with one out in the ninth, before Cameron Baranek was caught trying to take third on a ball that got a little away from Ryan Rinsky, the catcher, and then Ryan Cox struck out. Crane's double to right and the two errors charged to Roa ended the game on the second pitch of the ninth.
The series finale between the two teams will take place at UC Health Stadium tomorrow, Sunday, at 5:35 p.m. ET. Left hander John Havird will take the mound and be opposed by righty Johnathon Tripp.
