Aug 5, 2017 4 min read

For all the good things Chase Cunningham had done for the Wild Things in his two years in Washington, there was one item the right-handed starting pitcher had yet to check off his to-do list.

Until Saturday night, Cunningham was unable to finish what he started.

That changed in the opening game of a doubleheader against the Lake Erie Crushers as Cunningham threw a complete game seven-hitter that helped Washington to a 6-1 victory.

Lake Erie earned a split by steamrolling the Wild Things 11-0 in the nightcap. Crushers pitcher Juan Caballero (4-2) took a no-hitter into the seventh inning and finished with a one-hit shutout. Washington’s only hit was a clean single through the left side of the infield by Hector Roa leading off the seventh.

Caballero overcame some early wildness. He walked four and struck out four.

It was the first career complete game in 40 professional starts over three seasons for Cunningham (8-1), who won for the 12th time in his last 15 decisions.

“I finally got one,” Cunningham said. “I had gone eight innings a couple of times and finished a suspended game but that doesn’t count because we started in the second inning.”

Cunningham struck out eight batters – one shy of his career high – and did not issue a walk. The latter total, Cunningham said, was the result of being more aggressive against Lake Erie’s hitters than he was in some recent starts.

“I was using my legs more. The last two or three starts, I had gotten away from that. I had been nit-picking too much. I was giving the hitters too much credit,” explained Cunningham, who won for the second time since July 2.

“I wanted to make their hitters earn it. Those last few starts, I had been letting guys get on base with walks and then making a mistake.”

The only mistake Cunningham made against Lake Erie led to the Crushers’ only run. And the mistake wasn’t a bad pitch. After Connor Oliver led off the second inning with a single, Cunningham tried to pick him off first base but the throw was low. It skipped past first baseman Kane Sweeney and rolled down the right-field line, allowing Oliver to advance to third base. He scored when Cody Lenahan doubled off the right-field wall to give Lake Erie a 1-0 lead.

Lake Erie did not have a runner advance past second base after the second inning.

Washington battled back for its 21st come-from-behind win of the season. The Wild Things took a 2-1 lead in the fourth inning and gave Cunningham some margin for error by scoring four times in the fifth against Lake Erie lefty starter Nick Deeg (1-1).

Kenny Peoples-Walls hit a two-out, two-run single, just out of the reach of second baseman Jordan Dean, that scored Kane Sweeney and Bralin Jackson to give Washington the 2-1 lead.

Sweeney, who reached base in all three of his plate appearances, doubled to left field in the fifth, scoring Kyle Reese and James Harris to make it a 4-1 game. Two batters later, Hector Roa hit his team-leading 13th home run, a two-run shot to right field.

“The last few starts, the hitters had been bailing me out,” Cunningham said. “When we’re scoring four or more runs, it gives the pitcher so much more confidence.”

Lenahan was 3-for-4 with a home run, double and six RBI to pace Lake Erie’s 11-hit attack in the second game. Washington pitchers issued eight walks, four of which came around to score.

Washington placed left-handed pitcher Brian O’Keefe on the 7-day disabled list with a strained bicep. O’Keefe left his start Wednesday at Traverse City after four innings. … Lake Erie right fielder and leadoff batter L.J. Kalawaia had a hit in each of his first five at-bats of the doubleheader.