SCHAUMBURG, Ill. — The 2021 Frontier League Champion Schaumburg Boomers played sudden death for the first time in franchise history, suffering a 5-4 loss to the Washington Wild Things in 11 innings before a raucous crowd of over 6,000 on Saturday night.

The Frontier League instituted a new rule for the 2022 season to play sudden death if the game remains tied after 10 innings. The home team has the choice of offense or defense and the Boomers chose defense. With two outs and two strikes, Washington’s Jared Mang recorded his second big hit of the night to end the game, scoring pinch-runner Shemar Page from first with the winning run.

The game reached extra innings tied at 3-3 after late drama from both sides. Washington scored twice in the first to open a 2-0 lead and Cris Ruiz responded with a line-drive homer in the bottom of the inning, his second of the year. The score remained 2-1 until the bottom of the sixth. William Salas lifted a sacrifice fly to score Ruiz with the tying run.

Mang put Washington ahead in the ninth with a solo homer against Darrell Thompson, the first run of the year allowed by the lefty. The Boomers were able to tie the game in the bottom of the inning to force extras. Salas led off with a double and scored on a safety squeeze from Blake Grant-Parks. Washington scored the international tie-breaker runner in the top of the 10th and Ruiz doubled home the tying run in the bottom to send the contest to sudden death.

Blake Stelzer started and threw five innings for the Boomers on the mound. Juan Pichardo struck out four in two frames, Jake Joyce fanned two, Thompson struck out three and Aaron Glickstein two as the team totaled 13. Glickstein was saddled with the loss. Ruiz finished with three hits and two runs scored. Matt Bottcher reached base four times with a hit and three walks.

The series and homestand will come to an end tomorrow afternoon on Father’s Day at 1:00 pm. The first 1,000 fans will receive a Boomers Baseball Cap thanks to Illinois Bone and Joint Institute and there will be Pre-Game Catch on the Field and Post-Game Autographs presented by Wintrust Community Banks. The Boomers (14-16) will send RHP Sumpei Yoshikawa (2-3, 7.18) to the bump. Tickets for the 2022 season are on sale now! Visit boomersbaseball.com.