Jun 20, 2021 4 min read

Momentum has been an elusive concept for the Wild Things early in this Frontier League season. It has been more like one step forward and two steps backwards.

Washington appeared primed to reach the .500 mark after winning consecutive series against Quebec and Florence last week and taking the opening game of the weekend series Friday against Lake Erie, which left the Wild Things’ record sitting at 10-11.

Then the Wild Things lost a frustrating 10-inning game Saturday night and fell victim to one bad inning and a lack of hitting in a 6-4 loss Sunday to the Crushers.

Washington gave up five runs in the seventh inning and were limited to four hits over the first eight innings by Lake Erie pitchers.

“It can’t always be ‘I’ll get it done next time.’ We have to do things better,” Washington manager Tom Vaeth said. “That’s why our record is what it is.”

The game looked like it would be a bad one for Washington starter Kevin McNorton (2-3) as he gave up a triple to Steven Kraft, an RBI single to Isaac Bernard and a double to Trevor Aschenbach, the first three batters he faced. McNorton, however, pitched out of the situation, allowing only one run. That started a string of 17 consecutive batters retired by McNorton.

“He settled down and put up a lot of zeroes,” Vaeth said.

“He was keeping their hitters off balance,” said Washington catcher Cody Erickson. “He had all of his pitches working.”

The Wild Things did their only scoring in the third and ninth innings. In the third, they took advantage of three walks by Lake Erie starter Jake Pilarski, a Fox Chapel High School graduate who was making his professional debut. Pilarski loaded the bases on walks before Nick Ward’s sacrifice fly scored Brian Sharp.

A two-out infield single by Grant Heyman scored Connor Perry and the Wild Things led 2-1. It could have been 3-1 but Joe Campagna held at third base on a two-out infield single up the third-base line by Hector Roa and was stranded there.

“We got a couple of runs back, but it should have been three,” Vaeth said. “A baserunning blunder, not scoring from third base with two outs, cost us a run.

“It seems like it’s one thing every night where we shoot ourselves in the foot. On Saturday night, it was not executing a catch-and-throw play on a pickoff and not covering first base.”

Lake Erie, however, went to the bullpen in the fourth and Sam Curtis (1-0) came on to throw four shutout innings, allowing only one run.

“Curtis was outstanding,” Lake Erie manager Dan Rohn said. “He had been on the shelf for the last four days but he did a great job.”

The Crushers finally ended their streak of futility against McNorton when Karl Ellison led off the seventh with a single and Connor Oliver followed with a walk. Bryan DeLaRosa then doubled off the left-field wall to tie the score. That was all for McNorton as he was replaced by Jesus Balaguer.

Crushers first baseman Zack Gray, who entered the game hitting only .128, belted Balaguer’s second pitch for a three-run homer, a high shot into the parking lot beyond right field. It was Gray’s first home run of the season and gave Lake Erie a 5-2 lead. The Crushers tacked on another run in the inning when second baseman General McArthur doubled and scored when Balaguer made a high throw to third base on a comebacker to the mound.

The Wild Things showed some life in the ninth, getting a two-run double from Conner Perry that scored Andrew Sohn and Erickson.

“We just can’t wait around to the end of the game to score,” Vaeth said. “It’s not a light switch that you can turn on and turn off.”

Notes

On Father’s Day, the game had a father-son umpiring duo. Ron Whiting Sr. was the plate umpire and his son, Ronnie, was the first-base umpire. … Washington begins a three-game home series Tuesday against the Florence Y’alls. … Washington relief pitcher Ben Vicini, who was signed last week after playing at Seton Hill University, made his professional debut. He retired all six batters he faced, three on strikeouts.