Zach Kirby's First Shutout, Caleb Ketchup Lift Washington to Sixth Consecutive Victory
WASHINGTON, Pa. (June 16) – The Washington Wild Things entered tonight's matchup red-hot, having won five straight. During this win streak, their bats have been on fire, outscoring their opponents 52-7. While their bats cooled off today, it didn't matter as Zach Kirby pitched missiles to give Washington the win, spinning his first career shutout and nine-inning complete game. He did it in front of the sixth sellout of the season, with the great $2.50 Tuesday crowd announced at 3,250.
After both teams went scoreless for three innings, Washington struck first in tonight's pitcher’s duel when center fielder Caleb Ketchup brought the boom in the bottom of the 4th, blasting a solo home run to left field to make it 1-0 Washington.
The Wild Things had a chance to add to their lead two innings later, with runners on first and second and two outs, when Kyle Edwards hit a line drive to center field. But the Mud Monsters center fielder, Brayland Skinner, threw Cole Fowler out at third, getting him out before Andrew Czech crossed home plate to keep it a one-run game.
Washington added insurance in the bottom of the eighth with runners on first and second. Caleb Ketchup hit a line drive to center field to score Andrew Czech, making it a two-run game.
Washington’s starting pitcher Zach Kirby pitched a complete game, going all nine innings, striking out seven batters while allowing only four hits and zero walks on 118 pitches. It was a dominant performance for Kirby as he moved to 4-0 on the season. He lowered the fifth-best ERA in the league to 2.30 in the effort.
With tonight's win, Washington improves to 23-9 on the season. Meanwhile, the Mississippi Mud Monsters' three-game win streak came to a sudden halt, and they dropped to 14-20 on the season. The series resume tomorrow, Wednesday, June 17. First pitch is scheduled for 6:05 p.m., with gates opening an hour before first pitch.
Tomorrow is another Senior Slugger Program Wednesday presented by AARP Pennsylvania with fans 50 and older receiving a free ticket. All fans can enjoy Dollar Dog Night presented by Berks Foods.
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.
