Wild Things Win in Sudden Death, Own Central Lead with One Game Left
FL Washington Wild Things

Wild Things Win in Sudden Death, Own Central Lead with One Game Left

Published on August 30, 2025 under Frontier League (FL)
Washington Wild Things News Release


WASHINGTON, Pa. - Tommy Caufield tied the game in the ninth and Andrew Herbert shut things down in sudden death as the Washington Wild Things won the penultimate game of the regular season, 3-3, over the Down East Bird Dawgs in sudden death. The win and Lake Erie's loss has put Washington in control of its destiny to become Central Division Champions. With a win OR a Lake Erie loss tomorrow on the final day of the regular season, the Wild Things would capture their fourth division crown in five seasons.

Pavin Parks opened the scoring in the first inning with a double into the left-center gap, scoring Andrew Czech to give Wild Things a 1-0 lead. After 2.1 scoreless innings from Washington right-hander Regi Grace, the Bird Dawgs found the run column in the top of the third inning with three consecutive singles, which ultimately tied the game. Grace worked his way out of the third inning, allowing just the one run.

Two defensive errors by the Wild Things in the top of the fourth resulted in the Bird Dawgs taking a 2-1 lead on an unearned run. The first two hitters reached in the Washington half of the fourth inning, including a Parks infield single for his second hit of the day, but both runners were stranded on base.

Down East's bottom of the order helped extend their lead to 3-1 in the top of the sixth, as catcher Tyler Blaum hit a leadoff double and scored on a Cole Hill RBI single. Grace, the Washington starter, finished with a line of six innings pitched, nine hits, two earned runs, two strikeouts and no walks.

Parks drew a walk to begin the bottom of the sixth. Two batters later, Jeff Liquori drew a walk, followed by a Cole Fowler RBI single to left field, which scored Parks to bring Washington within a run. Liquori and Fowler, the tying and go-ahead runs, were left on base to end the sixth.

Right-hander Chad Coles came onto the mound for Washington in the seventh and retired the Bird Dawgs in order for the first time in the game. Eddie Hacopian drew a walk with one out to get the tying run back on base for the Wild Things, but Czech hit into a double play to end the inning.

Coles generated three Down East groundouts in the top of the eighth to sit the Bird Dawgs down in order, again. The Wild Things were also retired in order in the eighth. Wild Things right-hander Hector Garcia pitched a scoreless top of the ninth, ending with a 6-4-3 double play after a one-out single.

Down East inserted former Wild Things pitcher, Jackson Hicks, in the bottom of the ninth. Fowler reached for the Wild Things with a leadoff single and advanced to second on a Kyle Edwards pinch-hit, sacrifice bunt with two strikes. Edwards was followed by another pinch hitter, Tommy Caufield, who tied the game with an RBI single, scoring Fowler. Two deep flyouts by Ben Watson and Hacopian forced the game to extra innings.

Garcia kept the Bird Dawgs off the basepaths in the top of the 10th, sending them down in order.

Czech, leading off the bottom of the tenth, advanced Hacopian, the extra innings rule runner, to third base on a sacrifice bunt. The Bird Dawgs then chose to intentionally walk Parks to set up a potential inning ending double play. This brought Wagner Lagrange to the plate, who struck out as Parks advanced to second. Liquori grounded out to short to send the game to sudden death.

The Wild Things elected to pitch and brought in right-hander Andrew Herbert. After getting the first batter to fly out, Herbert allowed a single, which advanced the game-ending run to second. Herbert bounced back, striking out the next two batters to pick up the win, 3-3.

Tomorrow's regular-season finale goes down at 5:35 p.m. on a Kids Eat Free Sunday presented by Pathways and Halloween Night. Gates open at 4:30 p.m.

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Frontier League Stories from August 30, 2025


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