Wild Things settle for split decision
Good things seem to happen for the Wild Things when Ben Vicini enters the game.
The rookie right-hander out of Seton Hill University faced one batter in relief and was the winning pitcher Sunday against Florence.
On Wednesday, Vincini was the starting pitcher in the opening game of a doubleheader against Lake Erie. Vicini ran his record to 6-0 and lowered his ERA to 1.67 by combining with closer Zach Strecker on a two-hit shutout as Washington won 1-0 at Wild Things Park.
The Wild Things, however, couldn’t build any momentum off the win in the opener as Lake Erie scored two runs in the top of the seventh inning to rally for a 3-2 victory in the nightcap.
Even with one win, Washington lost ground to first-place Sussex County in the Northeast Division. The Miners defeated Florence, 6-4, and stretched their lead to 2½ games over the Wild Things.
Vicini allowed only two hits over six innings and struck out six. He did not walk a batter. Vicini and Strecker, who pitched the seventh inning, faced the minimum 21 batters over the seven innings.
It was the third time in the Wild Things’ 19-season history that their pitchers faced the minimum number of batters in a game. The last time was Aug. 24, 2014 against Gateway, when Matt Sergey threw the only perfect game in Frontier League history. The first time was July 29, 2010, when Jeff Sonnenberg faced the minimum 27 batters in a 3-0 win over Lake Erie.
Washington produced the only run it would need in the third inning against Lake Erie starter Jake Pilarski (3-3), a Fox Chapel native. Joe Campagna led off with a line-drive single to left centerfield and moved up on a groundout. Andrew Sohn then laced a single through the right side of the infield that scored Campagna.
The 1-0 lead held up as Washington turned three double plays. Lake Erie put the leadoff batter on base in the fourth when Shawon Dunston Jr., singled and Zach Racusin followed with a line drive that seemed ticketed for the right-field line. Washington first baseman Andrew Czech, however, showed some hops as he jumped and snagged the line drive and easily doubled up Dunston.
In the seventh, Strecker replaced Vincini to start the inning and promptly walked Dunston. Racusin’s bad luck continued as he grounded into a double play. Strecker got Connor Oliver to bounce to second base to end the game. It was Strecker’s 15th save of the season and 57th of his career, which is three shy of the Frontier League record.
Racusin’s run of tough-luck results ended when he led off the second game with a home run to left field off Washington starter McKenzie Mills, who was activated off the disabled list between games.
Mills pitched 4 1/3 innings, allowing one run on three hits. He walked three and struck out five.
Washington tied the score at 1-1 in its half of the first inning. Sohn walked, moved to third when Tristan Peterson’s hard smash got past Lake Erie shortstop Eric Callahan and scored on a sacrifice fly by Bralin Jackson.
It stayed 1-1 until the sixth when a Lake Erie error helped the Wild Things. Jackson hit a chopper up the third-base line to Javier Betancourt, who was guarding the line. Betancourt’s long throw across the diamond got away and Jackson scrambled to second base. Grant Heyman’s groundout advanced Jackson to third base. Hector Roa followed with a bloop RBI-single to right field that gave Washington a 2-1 lead.
Strecker (2-5) entered the game in the top of the seventh trying for his second save of the night but gave up five hits in a six-batter stretch as the Crushers took a 3-2 lead. Racusin had a game-tying single that scored Callahan and Dunston crossed home plate on a one-out single by Connor Oliver.
Taylor Sugg (3-2) was the winning pitcher in relief. J.T. Perez pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his 11th save.