Aug 18, 2017 4 min read

With very little time left in the regular season to hit the snooze button, the Wild Things’ offense finally rolled out of bed, went to work and delivered some clutch hits in a home game.

Washington’s hitters erased two deficits, some terrific relief pitching from lefty Jake Eaton followed a good start from Ethan Gibbons and the Wild Things defeated the Lake Erie Crushers, 5-4, Friday night before a crowd of 3,404, the largest of the season.

Lake Erie led 2-0 only four pitches into the game and took a 3-2 lead in the seventh inning by scoring an unearned run – on a strikeout, no less – but Washington answered with two runs in the bottom of the inning, scoring the go-ahead run when Bralin Jackson hit the first pitch from Lake Erie reliever Seth Lucio off the right-field wall to drive in Rashad Brown.

Washington added what was a needed insurance run in the eighth when catcher John Fidanza led off with a single and scored on Justin Bohn’s double to left centerfield, making it 5-3.

Lake Erie scored a run off Washington closer Zach Strecker in the ninth but he got the final three outs of the game for his 19th save.

The win kept the Wild Things one game out of the final wild-card playoff spot in the Frontier League with 15 to play.

“We’re not in a situation where we can give away wins or series,” Washington manager Gregg Langbehn said. “We’re going to have to find a way to get a sweep or two.”

So winning the opener against Lake Erie, which is still in playoff contention five games behind the Wild Things, was important. And the game didn’t start well for Washington as Lake Erie forged a 2-0 lead only four pitches into the game.

Gibbons hit Lake Erie leadoff batter L.J. Kalawaia with the second pitch of the game and then, two pitches later, gave up a two-run homer. Those were the only runs Gibbons allowed over 5 2/3 innings. He struck out eight.

The lead didn’t last long as the Wild Things scored twice in the bottom of the first against Lake Erie ace Jordan Kurokawa (5-4). A Jackson single moved Brown to third base, and when the relay throw to the infield was errant, Brown trotted home with Washington’s first run. First baseman Kane Sweeney then tripled into the right-field corner, scoring Jackson and making it 2-2.

“That first inning was critical,” Langbehn admitted. “Both teams got in at 8 in the morning, and then they’re up 2-0 four pitches into the game, but we responded. We had some quality situational at-bats, which had been lacking at home.”

The remainder of the game was exercised in frustration for Lake Erie. The Crushers kept putting runners in scoring position and then failing to drive them in or even put the ball in play. At one point, the Crushers were 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position with eight strikeouts.

One of those strikeouts, however, led to another short-lived lead. With Tyler Urps on second base after a one-out double, Eaton struck out Kalawaia but the pitch bounced off Fidanza. Kalawaia raced to first base and the throw from Fidanza kicked off Sweeney, allowing Urps to come around to score and give Lake Erie a 3-2 lead.

Washington answered with two runs in its half of the seventh. A Mike Hill leadoff single and sacrifice bunt by Bohn set up a run-scoring single by Brown that knocked out Kurokawa. Jackson then greeted Lucio with the go-ahead double.

Eaton (1-0), a 6-6 lefty who was acquired from Salina of the American Association at the end of July, got his first win with the Wild Things with 2 1/3 innings of stellar relief, allowing only one hit and one unearned run. Eaton struck out six of the nine batters he faced.

“Eaton was fantastic,” Langbehn said. “He has been superb against left-handed hitters. He’s been eating up lefties … We knew we were going to need some lefties down the stretch because of how many left-handed batters Lake Erie and Schaumburg have, plus Windy City.”

It was the final Fireworks Friday of the regular season. … Former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver and Super Bowl MVP Santonio Holmes will be at Saturday night’s game. The Wild Things will wear special Steelers jerseys. … Sweeney was 1-for-3 with three walks. He leads the league with 73 walks. … Washington pitchers struck out 15 batters and issued only one walk. … Lake Erie first baseman Connor Simonetti had two doubles and thre eof Lake Erie’s 10 hits.