Simmons’ homer gives Boomers walk-off win
Aaron Simmons hit two homers including a walk-off blast in the bottom of the ninth as the Schaumburg Boomers rallied to Sunday’s 11-10 win in the finale of a six-game homestand at Wintrust Field.
Simmons won the game on the very next pitch after Kyle Fitzgerald homered in front of him to tie the game against Washington closer Gyeongju Kim. The Boomers trailed the entire game.
Washington scored a pair of runs in the top of the first inning on consecutive RBI singles from Andrew Czech and Ethan Wilder. Simmons drove home his first run of the day in the bottom of the second with a single to plate Chase Dawson and draw the Boomers within 2-1. Washington had an answer every time the Boomers scored until the ninth. The Wild Things moved ahead 4-1 with two runs in the fourth. Willie Joe Garry brought the Boomers within 4-2 with a fourth inning RBI single.
Washington put two on the board in the sixth to lead 6-2. Christian Fedko notched a two-run single in the bottom of the fifth as the Boomers again drew close, pulling within 6-4. Washington scored three in the seventh to open a 9-4 edge. Fitzgerald lifted a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the seventh and Simmons drilled his first homer of the day to bring the Boomers within 9-7. Fedko hit a two-run homer in the eighth with two outs to tie the game but Washington moved ahead again with a single run in the ninth.
Simmons drove in four runs while finishing with three hits and reaching base four times. Schaumburg had 15 hits and four homers in the game. Fedko finished with three hits and four RBIs. Tyler Depreta-Johnson also notched three hits. Jake Joyce picked up his second win of the season by working the ninth. Four Boomers pitchers struck out 14 Washington hitters. Jacob Smith fanned a career high eight in 4.2 innings while Joyce, Dylan Stutsman and Mitch White all fanned a pair.
The Boomers (20-12) hit the road for three games at Evansville beginning Tuesday night before returning home next weekend to again host Washington.