First-place Wild Things battle back for win
When you’re a first-place team, these are the kind of things that happen.
When you’re the last-place team in the division, these also are the kind of things that happen.
The Central Division-leading Wild Things overcame a late deficit Wednesday night, taking advantage a wild pitch that led to a Washington baserunner advancing two bases, a bloop single over a pulled-in infield, two stolen bases after failing to put down a bunt and a go-ahead bloop hit.
It all added up to an 8-6 come-from-behind win over the Lake Erie Crushers, who reside in the Central’s basement.
The Wild Things took advantage of a break to tie the score at 6-6 in the seventh. Trailing by a run, Antonio Monory drew a one-out walk. Lake Erie reliever Christian Sccafidi (1-3) then buried a pitch into the turf at home plate that skipped off catcher Derek Vegas and rolled toward the on deck circle next to the third-base dugout. Vegas had trouble locating the ball and Monroy hustled all the way to third base.
With Lake Erie’s infield drawn in, Billy Sullivan lofted a bloop single to shallow right field that scored Monroy. Had the Lake Erie infield been playing back, Sullivan’s hit would have been an easy popout.
Still tied 6-6 in the bottom of the eighth, Washington’s Caleb Ketchup led off with a walk off Scafidi. Ryan Ford was unable to get down a sacrifice bunt and struck out, but Ketchup stole second base and third. After another strikeout, Kyle Edwards blooped a two-strike single into left centerfield that scored Ketchup with the go-ahead run. It was Washington’s first lead of the series.
Edwards stole second and scored an insurance run when Monroy laced a single up the middle that made the score 8-6.
Landon Ginn (1-1), the fourth Washington pitcher, got the final four outs and the win. He retired all four batters he faced.
Just as in Tuesday night’s series opener, both teams scored a run in the first inning. Lake Erie scored when Joe Redfield singled, stole second and third and scored on a groundout by Chayton Krauss. Washington answered when catcher Billy Sullivan drew a one-out walk and scored when Andrew Czech grounded a double over the first base and down the right-field line.
Both teams used the long ball in the third inning. Lake Erie hits two home runs off Washington starter Bailey Matela and Washington responded with a three-run blast by Anthony Brocato.
The Crushers started the third with a home run by Redfield. Following a walk and two errors, Krauss hit a three-run homer to left field for a 5-1 lead. It was the first professional home run for Krauss, who was signed out of Dallas Baptist on Friday.
Matela, who was making his second pro start, went only two-plus innings, allowing four hits and five runs (four earned).
Washington’s big third inning came against Lake Erie starter Justin Mays who was making his pro debut. The rookie out of Texas Southern gave up a one-out single to Sullivan followed by a walk to Czech. Mays jumped ahead of Brocato 0-2 before running it full. On the 3-2 pitch, Brocato drove the ball high and deep to right centerfield for a three-run homer that cut Lake Erie’s lead to 5-4.
It was Brocato’s 18th home run of the season, which ties him for the Frontier League lead.
Washington tied it at 5-5 when Antonio Monroy’s two-out single back up the middle drove in pinch-runner Ryan Ford.
After Washington reliever Colt Anderson tossed three scoreless and hitless innings, Lake Erie took a 6-5 lead with a run off the Wild Things’ Michael O’Hanlon in the sixth. James Jeff, the No. 9 hitter in the Lake Erie lineup, smacked a double off the wall in left centerfield and scored on a two-out single by Sebastian Alexander.
Extra bases
Prior to the game, Washington signed pitcher Eldridge Armstrong III from Pasadena, Calif. Armstrong played last year in the hitter-friendly Pioneer League and had a 2-3 record and an 11.63 ERA. He played in college at Texas A&M and San Diego State. He was 5-1 with a 3.24 ERA in 30 relief appearances for San Diego State in 2023. … Ford replaced third baseman Cole Fowler, who left in the fourth inning with an injury after hitting a single. … Attendance was 3,299, the eighth sellout of the season.