Pitching, home run key to Wild Things’ victory
Hector Roa homered and Ryan Hennen won for the third time as the Wild Things defeated Lake Erie, 5-2, in a series opener Friday night.
The win was the fifth for Washington in its last six games as it moved closer to the .500 mark at 10-11.
Hennen (3-0) allowed two runs (one earned) over five innings. His league-leading ERA went up to 0.75.
The Wild Things took a 1-0 lead in the third when Andrew Czech’s double scored newly signed Andrew Sohn. Czech went 3-for-3. Washington stretched the lead to 3-0 in the fourth on RBI hits by Roa and Sohn.
Lake Erie chipped away at the deficit with single runs in the fifth and sixth to close to within 3-2 but the Crushers couldn’t get the hit that would erase the gap. Lake Erie left 12 runners on base.
Roa hit his fourth home run, a two-run shot in the bottom of the sixth.
Jesus Balaguer, B.J. Sabol, James Meeker and Zach Strecker combined for four scoreless innings of relief. Strecker pitched the ninth inning for his fourth save.
Prior to the game, Washington traded infielder John Sansone to York of the Atlantic League for a player to be named.
The Frontier League will induct part of its 2021 Hall of Fame class during ceremonies prior to Saturday night’s game. The induction class includes three former Wild Things players: Jared Howton, Josh Loggins and Jonathan Kountis.