The Wild Things were hanging on all game despite sub-par pitching performances from all three of their pitchers, and fell to the Florence Freedom by a score of 11-5.
The Wild Things got on the board first on a CJ Beatty single that scored Shain Stoner to put the Things up 1-0. The lead wouldn’t last very long, though. The Freedom tied the game up in the bottom of the first with a Byron Wiley single that scored Jeremy Hamilton from first.
Washington would get back on top in the very next inning. Mark Samuelson walked and Jim Vahalik was hit by a pitch to put two runners on with no outs. Vahlik would leave the game, though, as newcomer Matt Mirabal came in to run for him. Vahalik would not return after being hit in the hand. Darian Sandford managed a double that drove in one run, and Scott Kalamar followed up with a groundout that scored another run, making it 3-1 Wild Things going into the bottom of the 2nd.
Smith would get out of the second inning only allowing one hit, but the bottom of the third would prove to be his demise even after CJ Beatty hit a solo shot in the top of the third inning to put Washington up 4-1.
Smith gave up a leadoff double that was quickly driven in by Wiley for his second RBI of the game. Smith struck out the next batter, but would then another RBI double and a walk before leaving after just 2.1 innings. Reliever Anthony Collazo didn’t seem to fare much better. On only his second batter, Collazo gave up a three-run shot that gave the Freedom the lead. All three runs were credited to Smith.
The Wild Things would add one more run on a Beatty RBI double in the top of the 7th, brining the Things within one again. Florence would pull away in the bottom half of the inning, though.
Collazo gave up another two-run home run, this time charging the runs to himself, and putting the Wild Things out of contention. The Freedom would pile on three more runs in the 8th on another three-run shot.
Jovan Rosa, Beatty, and Sandford recorded multiple hits, with Rosa and Beatty both going 3-5. Beatty also picked up 3 RBIs on the night including a home run.
The two teams will face each other again tomorrow night at 6:05 pm ET.
Photo Credit: Washington Wild Things
