Maddox Long Brilliant in Rubber Game Win for Washington at Schaumburg
SCHAUMBURG, Il. (May 28) – The Washington Wild Things got another quality start, the team’s sixth in a row and ninth overall since May 15, to set the tone in Thursday’s rubber game. It was Maddox Long dominating for the second-straight outing, as he went eight innings in his third pro start for his second quality start. He allowed one run on three hits and fanned five en route to his first professional win. Washington took down the Boomers in the rubber game, 2-1.
The first run of the game didn’t come in until the fourth inning, when Washington had a quick start to the frame against veteran Schaumburg southpaw Cole Cook. Kyle Edwards singled and went to third on a double by Antonio Monroy. Andrew Czech lifted a sac fly to left for his 24th RBI of the season, which made it 1-0 Washington. The Wild Things got a run in the fifth as well on an RBI single by Connor Peek with two outs, scoring Isaias Quiroz. Quiroz had doubled on a flare up the right field line in no man’s land.
Long’s outing was a career-best in a lot of respects, even in only his fourth outing as a pro. At one point after a leadoff single by Alec Craig in the third, he retired nine in a row before an error allowed a runner to reach to start the sixth. He responded to that by retiring the next five including a ground ball to get him through seven innings on just 89 pitches. That was all after he labored a bit in the first with some long battles. Two reached (a bunt single and a walk) in the frame but Long retired the side with a strikeout.
It was in the eighth where Long ran into his most trouble. After retiring the first hitter to the plate, he walked both Thomas DeBrower and Alec Craig, the latter of which followed a long battle. After a tap out back to him, a wild pitch brought DeBrower in to make it 2-1, but he evaded the tying run scoring from third with his fifth punchout as he got Myles Beale looking to end the threat.
Tyler Davis worked a 1-2-3 ninth with a pair of strikeouts for the save, clinching the series win for the Wild Things.
Washington will continue its road trip in Avon, Ohio tomorrow, Friday, May 29 with a 7:05 p.m. first pitch at ForeFront Field as they take on the Lake Erie Crushers for the first time this season. Kobe Foster will take the ball for the Wild Things.
The 24th season of Wild Things baseball in the MLB-partnered Frontier League is underway with more great baseball and entertainment to come. For updates, other information and more, visit washingtonwildthings.com or follow the team on social media at facebook.com/WashingtonWildThings or @WashWildThings on other platforms.
Go Wild at washingtonwildthings.com.
