Washington Wins Regular Season Finale, Clinches No. 3 Seed in Playoffs

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich, - The regular season is over. After clinching a playoff berth yesterday, the Washington Wild Things (53-43) clinched the No. 3 seed in the Frontier League playoffs with a 9-3 win at Traverse City (37-59) in the finale today. The Wild Things will meet the West Division champion Florence Freedom in the first round starting Tuesday, September 5 at Wild Things Park.

All but one run of the combined 12 in the game came in the latter third of the contest, as John Havird pitched seven innings of one-run, nine-hit ball for the Beach Bums, while Frank Trimarco pitched five innings of one-run ball for the Wild Things. The lone blemish on Trimarco’s line was a solo home run given up to catcher Kendall Patrick the third, a home run that opened the scoring.

The Wild Things answered the run in the seventh inning to tie the game at one when left fielder James Harris plated third baseman Justin Bohn with a base hit. Orlando Rivera gave the Bums a 2-1 lead with a run-scoring single in the home half. Wild Things’ catcher John Fidanza singled home a run to tie things at two in the eighth, before the Beach Bums again took the lead in the home half on a home run by Steven Patterson off Davis Adkins.

The lead for the host team was short-lived though, as the Wild Things put up a seven spot in the ninth inning, highlighted by run-scoring hits by Hector Roa (game-winning book-rule double) and Bohn. Two bases-loaded walks aided the effort along with an error and a sacrifice fly by Fidanza. Zach Strecker pitched a scoreless ninth to close the deal and clinch the third seed.

Tickets for games one and two of the first round series against the Florence Freedom are available online and at the box office. The box office at Wild Things Park will be open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. tomorrow, Monday, September 4 (Labor Day), for ticket inquires and purchase.

Game one of the series is set for Tuesday, September 5, while game two will be Wednesday, September 6. The two teams will take a travel day Thursday before finishing the series over the weekend in Florence, Kentucky.

First pitch for the first two games, both at Wild Things Park, is 7:05 p.m.