Things 4 Bolts 2
WASHINGTON, PA – The Washington Wild Things hit three home runs in the first two innings and despite a complete game from Austin Wright, the ThunderBolts dropped game one to the Wild Things 4-2 at CONSOL Energy Park Tuesday night.
The ThunderBolts (33-45) struck first with two first-inning doubles. Coco Johnson led off the game with his league-leading 23rd of the season and Austin Gallagher drove him in two batters later.
Washington (33-46) was quick to respond. With one out in their half of the first inning, Matt Ford doubled and Sam Mende followed with a two-run homer. Scott Kalamar made it back-to-back with his solo shot and the Wild Things had a 3-1 lead.
Andrew Heck hit a one-out solo home run in the bottom of the second inning to stretch the lead to 4-1, but Wright recovered to retire the next ten hitters, five of them on strikeouts.
Meanwhile, Matt Fraudin had handcuffed Windy City’s offense. Ransom LaLonde hit a fifth-inning leadoff double but was left at third base. They didn’t score again until Max White’s leadoff home run in the seventh inning. Cody Keefer hit a single immediately after, but the Wild Things called on their bullpen and Steve Messner and Jonathan Kountis combined to retire eight of the last nine hitters.
Wright (4-10) struck out a career-high 11 and allowed only three hits and no runs following the second inning, but he took the loss. Fraudin (2-1) earned his second career win in his fourth career start. Kountis picked up his eighth save.
The ThunderBolts and Wild Things will be back at it on Wednesday night. Game two of the three-game series will see Zak Wasserman (4-4, 6.04) take the mound for Windy City against the Wild Things’ Luke Wilkins (6-3, 3.12). First pitch from CONSOL Energy Park on Wednesday is scheduled for 6:05 and the broadcast can be heard at wcthunderbolts.com.
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