Wild Things and Crushers Split Sunday Doubleheader
AVON, Ohio (May 20) - The Washington Wild Things (5-4) closed out the series against the Lake Erie Crushers (6-3) with a doubleheader. The Wild Things dropped game one by a score of 3-2 after being up early. Game two saw the same final sore but in favor of the Wild Things.
Game one of the doubleheader seemed to be a pitching duel between Washington starter Danny Garmendia and Lake Erie starter Juan Perez. Both pitchers threw two scoreless innings before Washington drew first blood in the third after Hector Roa was walked with the bases loaded. The walk brought in shortstop Brett Marr.
This was where the struggles for both pitchers would begin as the command of the zone was not the same as the first two innings for either. Garmendia gave a up a run in the third after giving up a lead-off triple, and after a walk, an RBI single by shortstop Kevin Lachance.
In the fourth inning Garmendia’s day would come to a close after walking two of the first three batters. He went 3.1 innings, gave up one earned run and walked five batters. Aaron Burns then came on in relief and was able to work himself out of the inning without allowing any more runs to score.
After walking lead-off batter Austin Crutcher to start the fifth Perez would be relieved by Mason Klotz. The first batter Klotz faced was left fielder Roman Collins who doubled to score Crutcher to give the Wild Things a 2-1 lead.
In the bottom of the sixth the Crushers comeback would start with a home run by designated hitter Matt Dacey that went in and out of the glove of Hector Roa and over the right field fence, tying the game.
The seventh and final inning of game one began with yet another pitching change by Lake Erie as Richard McWilliams (1-0) relived Biedrczycki. Second baseman Carter McEachern was able to reach on walk and then stole second. Washington was unable to generate any offense after that. In the bottom of the seventh Burns was relieved by Davis Adkins (1-1). Adkins was looking to send the game to extra innings but after letting up a single and recording the first two outs, Adkins loaded the bases and walked Dane Hutcheon to bring in the game's winning run for Lake Erie as the Crushers won the game 3-2.
Game two of the doubleheader began with the Wild Things jumping out to an early lead. In the top of the second inning Crusher’s starter Sean Renzi (1-0) retired first baseman Reydel Medina and designated hitter Kyle Pollock to start the inning. Then right fielder Austin Crutcher hit a solo shot to start the scoring. Immediately after third baseman Mike Hill hit a home run of his own to give Washington a 2-0 lead.
Lake Erie, playing from behind once again, mounted their comeback in the bottom of the second inning after right fielder Dalton Wheat hit a sacrifice fly that scored designated hitter Matthew Dacey to make it 2-1.
In the third Washington did their best to keep the Crushers at bay by adding an insurance run. After getting hit by a pitch Marr advanced to first base. With a runner on and two outs, left fielder Roman Collins stepped up to the plate. Collins plated Marr with a base hit to push the Wild Things lead to 3-1.
The comeback continued in the fourth when Dacey reached on an error that was charged to first baseman Reydel Medina. After Wild Things starter Frank Trimarco recorded the first out short stop Dane Hutcheon advanced to first on a single and moved Dacey to second. Trimarco then struck out catcher Bryan Mayer to record the second out. This brought up Dalton Wheat who delivered an RBI single that scored Dacey.
Sam Mersing pitched a scoreless sixth inning in relief of Trimarco, who got the win after throwing five, four-hit innings. He struck out three and gave up the two unearned runs.
Zach Strecker recorded his third save of the season by tossing a scoreless seventh inning, that included a game-ending 6-4-3 double play.
With the win in game two, Washington salvaged a game and avoided a sweep at the hands of Lake Erie, and will return home for a six-game homestand in five days. Washington will host Southern Illinois for three games, starting with a doubleheader Wednesday, May 23. Game one is scheduled for a 6:05 p.m. first pitch.
