Jun 25, 2019 4 min read

The Wild Things had self-destructed in so many ways during their rocky start to the Frontier League season but the one collapse they had avoided was ninth-inning suicide.

All in due time, friends.

Lake Erie, which had spent eight innings wasting one scoring opportunity after another, pushed across four runs in the top of the ninth inning against usually reliable closer Zach Strecker and rallied to beat Washington 5-2 Tuesday night in a series opener at Wild Things Park.

The loss ended Washington’s four-game winning streak.

It was the first blown save of the season for Strecker, the Wild Things’ all-time saves leader.

“I’m not going to complain about a guy who is the all-time saves leader,” Washington manager Gregg Langbehn said. “What has been a thorn in our side is we don’t find ways to win close games.”

Washington took a mere 2-1 lead into the ninth inning. A two-out RBI single by catcher Craig Erickson scored Mikael Mogues in the sixth inning and broke a 1-1 tie.

Washington starter Michael Austin survived a wild outing and had held Lake Erie to only one run through six innings. Relievers B.J. Sabol, James Meeker and Jesus Balaguer were used in matchup roles for two scoreless innings.

Lake Erie, which left 12 runners on base, finally broke through in the ninth as Steven Kraft, Emmanuel Marrero and Zack Racusin each singled to tie the game at 2-2 with one out.

Then it got ugly for Washington as an error, two passed balls and a hit batsman led to three more runs.

“That was Strecker out there, not some Joe Schmoe, and that doesn’t happen very often against him,” Lake Erie manager Cam Roth pointed out. “You have to appreciate it when it does.”

Lake Erie’s only other run was scored in the first inning on a sacrifice fly by Racusin, who is developing a bit of a reputation as a Wild Things killer. The Crushers had plenty of opportunities but left the bases loaded twice and scored only one run in the first inning after loading the bases three batters into the game.

Austin issued three walks, hit a batter and Washington committed two errors, all in the first two innings. Lake Erie, however, scored only one run.

“That has been our M.O. all season,” Roth said.

Austin settled down after the first two innings and pitched through the sixth, allowing three hits and three walks.

“The term is being effectively wild, and (Austin) was,” Roth said. “You can’t say he did a bad job because he didn’t. After the first inning, when Washington had somebody warming up in the bullpen, Austin didn’t come out of the game until the seventh. He did his job.”

Lake Erie did not have a hit until Kraft led off the fifth with a single. Marrero and Racusin also singled in the fifth to load the bases with one out before Austin worked out of the jam with the help of a strikeout and fielder’s choice grounder.

“Michael did a good job,” Langbehn said. “He got out of the first and fifth. He worked through it, though he wasn’t really sharp. He kept us in the game.”

Washington tied the score at 1-1 in the third against Lake Erie starter Jared Koenig. Cameron Baranek, Chase Slone and Brett Marr, the 7-8-9 hitters in the lineup, hit consecutive singles with Marr’s producing a run.

Extra bases

Erickson was ejected in the top of the ninth inning by home plate umpire Lou Kammermeier. … There were 15 hits in the game, all singles. … The Wild Things have won each of their last six road games. Their record at home for the season is 5-13. … Lake Erie pitchers struck out 13 Washington batters. … Dalton Geekie (1-1) pitched a scoreless eighth for the win and Logan Lombana had a save. … The teams will play an 11:05 a.m. Kids Day game today.