Wild Things Win Opener, Punch Out 15 Crushers
WASHINGTON, Pa. – The Washington Wild Things (43-38) defeated the Lake Erie Crushers (38-43) in game one of the three-game weekend series on Friday. No matter the other results in the league, the team will stay a game back , at worst, in the wild-card race.
Ethan Gibbons (1-2) got the start, going 5.2 solid innings of two-run baseball allowing only two runs while striking out eight batters. He would be relieved by Jake Eaton (1-0) who earned his first win as a Wild Thing tonight, going 2.1 innings, striking out six batters and only allowing one hit. Zach Strecker earned his 19th save and his no-out punchout set a team high for the Wild Things in 2017, as the pitchers fanned 15 Crushers combined.
The Crushers jumped out to an early lead as left fielder Sean Hurley sent the fourth pitch of the ballgame deep over the left-field wall for a two-run homer. Gibbons then settled down and struck out the next two batters and got the third to fly out. Washington answered quickly in the bottom half as centerfielder Rashad Brown reached on a walk and then stole second to get into scoring position with one out. Designated hitter Bralin Jackson then singled to left, and an errant throw in by Hurley allowed Brown to score and put the Wild Things on the board. First baseman Kane Sweeny evened the score at two apiece with an RBI triple down the right field line, his third of the season.
Strong defense across the board for the Wild Things kept the next five innings scoreless. In the top of the fourth, a strong relay from second baseman Justin Bohn got catcher Bryan DeLaRosa out at the plate to save a run. Then, second baseman Jordan Dean hit a single that bounced off the glove of a retreating Bohn. Brown came up firing and got Dean out as he tried to stretch the single into a double. The Wild Things pitchers also teamed up to strike out eight Crushers with runners in scoring position.
In the top of the seventh, Washington made its first error on the day as catcher John Fidanza threw an errant throw to first after a dropped third strike, allowing shortstop Tyler Urps to score, giving the Crushers a 3-2 lead. This lead did not last long, however, as Mike Hill led off the bottom frame with a single and then was plated when Brown pushed a single through the left side, tying the game. This hit chased Jordan Kurokawa from the game, bringing in Seth Lucio. Lucio did not receive a warm welcome as his first pitch was sent deep into right field by Jackson for a double, scoring Brown and giving the Wild Things the lead once again.
Insurance came in the bottom of the eighth as Bohn doubled to score Fidanza, and push the lead to two. Lake Erie attempted to rally in the top of the ninth, scoring a run on an RBI single from pinch-hitter Parker Norris, but this would prove to be the final run.
The Wild Things look to win the series tomorrow night as right-hander Tyler Garkow makes his season debut for Washington, first pitch is slated for 7:05 p.m.
