Wild Things Score Early to Take Series Opener in Sauget
SAUGET, Il. (Aug. 25) – A first-inning blast from Anthony Brocato and four more runs before the halfway point of the series opener in Sauget with Gateway were enough for Washington to get back in the win column, as it defeated Gateway 8-4.
Brocato’s two-run homer was the 30th of his campaign, putting him one behind Washington’s single-season record of 31 for a year. Up 2-0, righty Zach Kirby tossed up a zero in the first before yielding a solo homer to Abdiel Diaz in the second, which brought the score to 2-1 Washington. Washington added with a Connor Peek RBI single in the fourth and scored three times in the fifth. Two came in on a triple by Andrew Czech that was lost in the sky. Czech scored on a Brocato base hit, making it 6-1.
Czech’s run was his second of the game and 82nd of the season, setting a new single-season Wild Things record with 11 games to go.
Kirby finished a quality start over six frames, allowing five hits and a run with six strikeouts, on the way to his seventh win of the season. Colt Anderson worked two scoreless with two strikeouts to relieve Kirby. During that outing, Connor Peek and Caleb Ketchup added solo homers in the eighth off Gateway’s Claudio Galva.
A three-run homer by Victor Castillo inched Gateway closer to the Wild Things in the ninth, but brought the game to 8-4, its final.
Evansville’s loss to Schaumburg brought Washington’s division magic number to 10 before the victory brought it to nine, while the win brought the playoff magic number down to one.
Washington and Gateway will play the middle game tomorrow at 7:30/6:30 p.m. CDT with Kenten Egbert opposing Gage Vailes.
The team’s $50 pack of six undated regular season ticket vouchers and card for one ticket to every home playoff game is available still for purchase here.
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.
