Washington Wins in 12 Innings on Fourth of July
AVON, Ohio (July 4) - It took 12, but the Wild Things were able to win a one-run game in the finale, thus avoiding a sweep at the hands of the Crushers, winning 2-1 Thursday on the Fourth of July.
The Wild Things and Crushers traded failed scoring opportunities early, as both teams got the lead-off batter aboard in their first two at bats, including both teams getting a second-inning-starting double. Neither team took advantage.
Both teams left six through the first six innings. Lake Erie starter Alex Romero was yanked from the game after that. He tossed six shutout and allowed four hits and four walks to go with four strikeouts. Wegmann's day would end after stranding nine in eight shutout innings of work. He allowed seven hits and walked two with six punchouts.
It would take extras to find the game's first run. Washington failed to score in the 10th, as did Lake Erie, despite collecting two hits for the second-consecutive inning.
The international tiebreaker rule was put into effect in the 11th, leaving both teams with a runner on second base to start the inning. Cody Erickson singled on the first pitch of the 11th through the left side to move Cameron Baranek, the runner, to third. Baranek would score on a wild pitch to make it 1-0 Washington, but that's all Washington would get. Lake Erie answered on a Jake Vieth RBI single in the home half.
In the 12th, Washington would plate a run on a groundout by Chase Sudduth to take a 2-1 lead before turning to James Meeker after three innings of work from Zach Strecker. With the top of the order up, Meeker hit a batter before a sac bunt moved both of the runners into scoring position at second and third. Meeker would then induce a fielder's choice and get a punchout of Steven Kraft to end the game.
With the win, the Wild Things are now 20-28 and only four games back in the East. Also, it is Gregg Langbehn's 440th managerial win in the Frontier League, which ties John Massarelli for 7th on the charts.
The Wild Things return home for three starting tomorrow with a series opener against the Schaumburg Boomers, which is slated to begin at 7:05 p.m.
