Fernandez Hits First Wild Things' HR in Loss to Crushers
WASHINGTON, Pa. (May 18) - After Lake Erie and Washington combined for 27 hits and 17 runs last night, the game was again tight, but this time went 3-2 to the Lake Erie Crushers on Saturday at Wild Things Park. JJ Fernandez provided the only two runs for Washington with a fourth inning two-run blast, his first as a Wild Thing.
The first three innings went by quickly, with neither team able to muster up much against either starter: Paddy Ledet for Lake Erie and Nick Wegmann for Washington. The Wild Things had three baserunners and two hits in the fourth, the inning that featured the two-run homer to left by Fernandez that started the scoring.
In the sixth, with Wegmann hovering near 90 pitches, the Crushers had back-to-back-to-back hits to start the frame and chased Wegmann from the contest. The third hit, a double by first baseman Jake Veith scored Lake Erie's first run. The next batter, and first to face James Meeker who came on to pitch, Zach Racusin, singled to tie the game at 2 before the next hitter, right fielder Steven Kraft, lifted a sac fly to give the Crushers the lead, 3-2.
It was a lead they wouldn't let up, despite the Wild Things having the tying run on in the eighth in scoring position, and getting two baserunners off Kent Hasler, who got the save for Ledet after the former ThunderBolts' pitcher went eight strong, in the ninth. Kraft made a diving play to potentially save the game for the Crushers on Washington backstop Lucas Herbert for the second out of the ninth inning, when Washington had the winning run at first base.
The Wild Things will now look to avoid the sweep at the hands of the Crushers, who were the only team to sweep the Wild Things last season. Lake Erie swept Washington twice in 2018. Carter Johnson, a righty, goes for Washington tomorrow, against Dylan Mouzakes, a right hander for the Crushers.
First pitch for the series finale in slated for 5:35 p.m.
