Wild Things Earn Sweep, Strecker Ties Career Saves Record
AVON, Ohio (August 22) - Washington took the series finale 4-2 in another well-pitched game for the Wild Things' staff. With the win and Sussex County's game being cancelled due to weather the Wild Things are one game back in the Northeast. Also, with a save in the ninth inning, Zach Strecker earned his 18th of the season and with it the 70th save of his Frontier League career, which ties the all-time career record in the league set by Eric Massingham between 2011-14 for Evansville.
Washington struck in the fourth inning after both starters were great through three. Only one hitter reached in those frames and it was Tristan Peterson for Washington with a third-inning, one-out base hit. Keven Pimentel ended up perfect through 4.2 innings before yielding his first hit and baserunner. He walked the next guy but got out of it. But back to the run: Washington scored on a groundout to second by Bralin Jackson which plated Andrew Sohn. Sohn had singled and went to third on a two-bases failed pickoff throwing error by Jose Fuentes, Lake Erie's starter.
Lake Erie got on the board in the bottom of the sixth against Pimentel. With one out, Shawon Dunston Jr. tripled and got knocked in by Zach Racusin, who singled as the next batter. Pimentel stranded two in the inning to keep the game tied at one aside. The Wild Things answered immediately though to retake the lead. Grant Heyman was hit by a pitch to start the frame. He went to second on Trevor Casanova's second hit of the day, an infield single. Tristan Peterson then singled home Heyman and went to second on the throw toward Casanova at third. Casanova scored on a wild pitch and Peterson on an RBI single from Nick Ward, and it was 4-1 Washington at the stretch.
Keven Pimentel's day closed with him leaving in advance of getting his seventh win of the year with six innings of one-run ball. He allowed three hits and fanned four with two walks. Steven Colon worked 1.1 innings before loading the bases in the eighth. Dan Kubiuk entered and got a double play ball to end the threat before Strecker picked up the aforementioned historical save in the ninth. Lake Erie did score a run in that inning on an RBI single through the right side by Eric Callahan.
Washington returns home to start a nine-game homestand one back of the Northeast Division lead. The homestand starts with the first of three with the Tri-City ValleyCats Tuesday at 7:05 p.m. For a full list of promotions and to get tickets head to washingtonwildthings.com.
