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August 26, 2024 - Frontier League (FL) News Release


WILD THINGS WIN WEST TITLE AFTER SWEEP OF CRUSHERS

AVON, OH - The Washington Wild Things completed their sweep of the Lake Erie Crushers on Sunday with a 2-1 victory in the finale at Crushers Stadium.

The win gives Washington (63-26) the Frontier League West Division crown and a new single-season wins record with 63. 1B Tyreque Reed got things started for the Wild Things with an RBI double in the first inning that gave them a 1-0 lead. LF Wagner Lagrange homered in the fourth to put Washington up by two. The Crushers (47-42) scraped across a run in the eighth and had a chance with a man on in the ninth, but were cut down by RHP Gyeongju Kim, who picked up his league-leading 25th save of the season. Much like many of their other wins, the Wild Things got some excellent starting pitching, this time from RHP Jordan DiValerio, who went through seven scoreless innings and only allowed two hits to earn the win. RHP Anthony Escobar took the loss for Lake Erie.

The Wild Things will continue their road trip by heading to Crestwood for a series with the Windy City ThunderBolts beginning on Tuesday at 6:35 PM CDT. The Crushers will swap out one playoff team for another as the Gateway Grizzlies come to town for a three-game set, beginning on Tuesday at 6:35 PM EDT.

BOOMERS SURVIVE IN FLORENCE, MOVE CLOSER TO PLAYOFFS

FLORENCE, KY - The Schaumburg Boomers picked up a massive series win against the Florence Y'alls at Thomas More Stadium on Sunday by a final score of 8-6.

The Boomers (47-43) are now just a half-game back from Lake Erie for the final playoff spot in the West and will return home for their next series. 3B Chase Dawson nabbed the lead for Schaumburg in the top of the first with a two-run single. CF Brett Milazzo followed three batters later with an RBI single to make it 3-0. 1B Kyle Fitzgerald brought in another on a fielder's choice in the fifth to put the Boomers up by four. The Y'alls (42-47) came storming back in the bottom of the fifth with four runs to tie the game. RF Christian Fedko put the Boomers back in front with an RBI single in the seventh. Fitzgerald then gave Schaumburg some breathing room with his two-run homer later in the inning, reestablishing the lead at three. Florence worked its way back to get to within one in the seventh, but Dawson's ninth-inning RBI single proved to be the final nail in the coffin for the Y'alls. RHP Jake Joyce picked up the save after working out of a bases-loaded jam in the ninth. LHP Cole Cook was credited with the win while RHP Alex Wagner took the loss.

The Boomers will return home for one more crucial home series against the Evansville Otters on Tuesday. First pitch will be at 6:30 PM CDT. The Y'alls will continue their homestand by hosting the Joliet Slammers on Tuesday. First pitch is scheduled for 6:42 PM EDT.

CLOSE CALL IN THE 10TH INNING SOLIDIFIES TITANS' SERIES WIN OVER TRI-CITY

TROY, NY - The Ottawa Titans squeaked by the Tri-City ValleyCats with a 2-1 victory in 10 innings to take the series at Joseph L. Bruno Stadium.

The Titans (51-38) got the benefit of a close call in the 10th inning when they tagged out the ghost runner headed to third on a fielder's choice, much to the chagrin of Tri-City (49-39). DH Jake Hjelle put Ottawa in front with an RBI single in the second. The ValleyCats took the lead late in the eighth with a two-run single. 1B Peyton Isaacson slapped a two-out RBI base hit into center field to tie the game in the ninth to force extra innings. The Titans grabbed the lead on an infield single after the throw to first was just offline. The ValleyCats were then turned away in the bottom of the 10th by RHP McLain Harris, who was credited with his second save of the season. LHP Jake Dixon was given the win in relief for Ottawa while RHP Austin Dill took the loss.

The Titans will head back home to begin a series with the New York Boulders on Tuesday. First pitch will be at 6:30 PM EDT. The ValleyCats will hit the road for a series with the New Jersey Jackals, beginning on Tuesday at 6:35 PM EDT.

THUNDERBOLTS DISMANTLE JOLIET IN SERIES SWEEP

JOLIET, IL - The Windy City ThunderBolts dominated the Joliet Slammers to a 12-4 win and a series sweep on Sunday afternoon at Duly Health & Care Field.

The ThunderBolts (37-54) crushed the Slammers (35-55) for the second night in a row and outscored them 24-7 in the series. RF Brennen Dorighi put Windy City on top 2-0 with a two-run double in the top of the first inning. Joliet picked up two solo homers in the bottom half to bring the game back to even. The two sides both exchanged a run in the second before the ThunderBolts took control of the game with two more runs in the third. SS Henry Kusiak teamed up with Dorighi in the fourth for two more RBI base hits to extend Windy City's lead up to four. The Bolts then added on three in the seventh and another two in the eighth to put the game out of reach at 12-4. RHP Ruddy Gomez got the win while RHP Zac Westcott took the loss.

The ThunderBolts will head back home to begin the final week of the regular season with a series against the Washington Wild Things. First pitch for Tuesday's opener is set for 6:35 PM CDT. The Slammers will travel to Florence to face the Y'alls on Tuesday at 6:42 PM EDT.

JACKALS SWEEP DOUBLEHEADER, ELIMINATE AIGLES FROM PLAYOFF CONTENTION

PATERSON, NJ - The New Jersey Jackals swept the Trois-Rivières Aigles in a Sunday afternoon doubleheader at Hinchcliffe Stadium.

The Jackals (32-58) knocked the Aigles (42-47) out of playoff contention in the Frontier League East Division with the sweep, meaning there are only three unclinched teams left in the running. In the first game, LF Arbert Cipion gave New Jersey the lead by scoring two on a fielder's choice and an error. Cipion then crushed a three-run bomb in the fourth to make it 5-0 New Jersey. SS Fritz Genther plated two more in the fifth with a double into the left-center field gap. The Aigles managed a run in the sixth to avoid the shutout, but ultimately fell 7-1. RHP Yuhi Sako grabbed the win while RHP Osman Gutierrez took the loss.

In the second game, it was Trois-Rivières that got off to an early lead with a solo homer in the first. The Aigles repeated the effort in the fourth to make it 2-0. RF Jordan Scott tied the game with one swing in the fifth, sending a two-run homer over the wall in left. DH Robb Paller then worked a bases-loaded walk in the sixth to put New Jersey up by one. RHP Roniel Rhodes then closed things out in the seventh to secure his first save of the season. RHP Andrew Kramer earned the win in relief while RHP Yunior Thibo took the loss.

The Jackals will continue their homestand with a series against the Tri-City ValleyCats, beginning on Tuesday at 6:35 PM EDT. The Aigles will return home to face the Sussex County Miners in a three-game set, beginning on Tuesday at 7:05 PM EDT.

GRIZZLIES COLLECT 13 HITS IN SERIES WIN OVER OTTERS

EVANSVILLE, IN - The Gateway Grizzlies took down the Evansville Otters 7-3 in Sunday's rubber game at Bosse Field to claim the weekend series.

The Grizzlies (56-33) are now cemented as the West's second seed and will host the Frontier League Wild Card game in Sauget on September 3rd. The first inning saw Gateway and Evansville (41-50) exchange runs to produce a 1-1 tie. The Grizzlies broke it in the fourth inning with a solo homer from CF Cole Brannen. 1B Peter Zimmermann and 3B DJ Stewart both collected RBI hits in the fifth to make it 4-1 before Gateway picked up another on a bases-loaded walk. Brannen then singled home another run later in the inning to make it 6-1. Stewart notched another RBI single in the sixth to extend Gateway's lead up to six. The Otters picked up a run in the seventh and ninth innings but struggled to string together hits in key moments. RHP Collin Sullivan earned the win while RHP Zach Smith got tagged with the loss.

The Grizzlies will travel to Ohio for their next series with the Lake Erie Crushers. First pitch for the series opener on Tuesday is scheduled for 6:35 PM EDT. The Otters will travel north to begin a series with the Schaumburg Boomers on Tuesday at 6:30 PM CDT.

KNOCKOUTS EARN SERIES SWEEP IN SUDDEN DEATH

BROCKTON, MA - The New England Knockouts defeated the Sussex County Miners in sudden death to earn the series sweep at Campanelli Stadium on Sunday.

Both the Knockouts (36-52) and the Miners (30-60) scored three runs in extra innings in a series-finale slugfest to force the game to be decided in sudden death. Sussex County grabbed a 3-0 lead in the first inning with a big three-run homer. CF Austin White responded in the second with a two-run single to cut the deficit down to one. RF Keegan Calero immediately followed with a two-run bomb to give New England a 4-3 lead. The Miners hit a solo homer in the third to tie the game and then another in the sixth to grab a one-run lead. Calero brought the game back to even with an RBI single in the bottom of the sixth. Both teams were kept scoreless through the ninth, forcing extra innings; the Miners came out firing in the 10th and scored three runs to take an 8-5 lead. LF Tommy Kretzler knotted things up at 8-8 with a three-run homer in the bottom of the 10th, forcing the game to be settled in sudden death. The Knockouts chose to play defense in the top of the 11th and sent the Miners back to the locker room with a 1-2-3 inning. RHP Reeves Martin picked up his seventh win of the year in relief. By rule, there was no losing pitcher.

The Knockouts will travel to Québec for their next series against the Capitales. The series will begin on Tuesday at 7:05 PM EDT. The Miners will also head to French Canada as they travel to Stade Quillorama to play the Trois-Rivières Aigles, beginning on Tuesday at 7:05 PM EDT.

CAPITALES DEAL HUGE BLOW TO NEW YORK'S PLAYOFF CHANCES

PONOMA, NY - The Québec Capitales erased the New York Boulders with an 8-5 victory on Sunday to claim the series at Clover Stadium.

The Capitales (61-29) crippled the Boulders' (47-43) playoff chances with the series win, putting them three games back from the final spot in the East. RF Justin Gideon struck first for Québec in the first with a two-run home run. The Boulders answered back with three runs in the bottom half to take a 3-2 lead. New York added on another in the second with another RBI base hit. Gideon blasted another home run, a solo shot, in the third to cut the deficit to one. The Boulders took the run back in the bottom of the third, but the Capitales then took the lead with three runs in the fourth. 3B Jake MacKenzie tacked on a big insurance run in the fifth with an RBI single and LF Tommy Seidl put the game out of reach with a solo homer in the sixth. The Québec bullpen took control of the game after the starter was forced from the game after three innings, only allowing three hits in the final six innings. RHP Yusneil Padron-Atiles earned the win in relief while RHP Nick Trabacchi earned the save. RHP Brandon Backman took the loss for New York.

The Capitales will host the New England Knockouts to begin their final homestand of the regular season on Tuesday at 7:05 PM EDT. The Boulders will play a crucial series with the Titans in Ottawa, which could either be a potential playoff matchup or the end of New York's season. First pitch for Tuesday's opener will be at 6:30 PM EDT.

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