The Wild Things received a strong start from starter Tim Flight, but couldn’t get him any run support as the Wild Things fell to the Rockford Aviators 4-3 in thirteen innings to drop the three-game series on Thursday night at Consol Energy Park.
Flight struggled out of the gate allowing four hits and three walks through three innings, but only conceded two runs, which would be the only damage Rockford could do to him in his seven innings of work.
“Other than the first few innings, Timmy pitched great,” said Wild Things manager Bob Bozzuto. “He did great in keeping the pitch count down to go seven innings with 100 pitches.”
Washington (8-10) got on the board in the second after back-to-back two out singles by Carter Bell and Jeudy Valadez. Austin Wobrock then reached on a throwing error allowing David Popkins to hit a two-run single to left-center.
From there, both teams exchanged zeros until the twelfth, when the International Tiebreak rule came into effect. The tiebreak rule puts the man that made the last out of the last inning on second base to start with no out.
The Aviators (14-4) struck first on a run-scoring double play, but Washington was able to answer in the bottom of the inning with a RBI single by Valadez.
Rockford, again, scored their inherited runner in the thirteenth and had a chance to add on, but controversy kept them off the board.
With the bases loaded and one out, Greg Velazquez hit a ball up the middle that was taken by the shortstop. His throw to first seemed to have pulled the first basemen off the bag which was ruled that way at first.
The two-man umpire crew then came together and ruled the runner out at first ending the inning with Rockford up by one.
The Wild Things quickly moved their inherited runner to third in the bottom of the thirteenth on a sacrifice bunt, but couldn’t get him home to end the game.
Bozzuto, along with most of the managers in the Frontier League, was not a fan of the International tiebreaker from the start stating that it doesn’t do right for the game.
“This [International] rule is ridiculous,” said Bozzuto. “Even if we would have won, I’d say the same thing. Play the game the way it’s supposed to be.”
Starters Lines
(WAS) Flight (ND): 7 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 6 K’s. 104 Pitches (62 Strikes).
(ROC) Rizzotti (ND): 7 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 5 K’s. 77 Pitches (54 Strikes).
Prior to the game, the Wild Things honored the American Heart Association and former Pittsburgh Pirates closer Kent Tekulve. Teke signed autographs and caught the ceremonial first pitch from Dr. Stephen Bailey, the surgeon that performed his heart transplant.
It was also Kent Tekulve bobblehead night at Consol Energy Park for the first 1,000 fans that arrived at the ballpark.
Tekulve stayed till late after the game ended signing autographs and talking to fans until the park emptied.
(Photo Credits: Travis Berardi/PSN)
