Connor Oliver's glove, bat lead Crushers past Wild Things

AVON — Fresh off a big defensive play, Connor Oliver stepped into the batter's box and delivered the offense for Lake Erie. The right fielder made a diving catch to save two runs and stop Washington's rally in the third, then came through with a bases-clearing hit that sparked the Crushers to a 5-3 win at Mercy Health Stadium on Saturday. The teams resume their three-game series today at 2:05 p.m. with Sean Johnson taking the mound for Lake Erie (1-1). Washington (0-3) had a golden opportunity to take the lead in the third with one out and runners on second and third. Robby Rowland struck out Trevor Casanova, and Bralin Jackson nearly broke things open with a well-hit ball to right, but Oliver's catch kept them off the board. "I was running for the ball to the right and thought it was going to keep coming to me," Oliver said. "The wind was hitting it so it was going back the other way. I had to stop and run in. Luckily I made the catch or else that would have been a couple of runs." Fly balls were anything but routine in an unforgiving wind, yet none of the game's three errors came on balls hit in the air. Lake Erie committed two throwing errors and Washington's came on a mishandled ground ball by starter Kevin McNorton, who allowed three earned runs on five hits with five strikeouts in five innings. Lake Erie got a strong outing from Rowland, who went six innings, giving up one run on five hits and three walks with five strikeouts. "Robby was down in the zone for the most part," Lake Erie manager Dan Rohn said. "He battled through it and made some great pitches when he needed to. He gave us six strong innings out of the chute, commanded both sides of the plate and when you don't walk anybody with the wind blowing the way it is you usually don't lose." Oliver 's big hit was a liner over second to clear the bases and give Lake Erie a 3-0 lead. Two scored on the single and the third on an error by center fielder Derek Reddy, whose throw bounced off the turf past third baseman Brian Sharp, allowing Oliver to reach second. "He was trying to come in a couple of times, but I didn't want to get too pull happy on him," Oliver said. "I was just trying to stay up the middle and I knew if I could let that ball travel and see that off-speed pitch ... I knew if it was in I could get there and shoot it up the middle. A little jam-shot knob did it." Washington got a run back in the fifth, only for Lake Erie to answer in the sixth with Steve Passatempo getting a single to drive in Trevor Achenback from second with one out. Leadoff hitter Shawon Dunston broke a hitless drought with an RBI single that he pushed past third. The Crushers center fielder started 0-for-7 with a walk in his first eight plate appearances, including going 0-for-5 in the opener Thursday. "We had three guys in that inning get first hits of the year," Rohn said. "It was a big lift for all of those guys. Once we get going, get into a groove and get some things in a routine with weather and stuff we'll be better. But I'm pleased with our overall effort." Contact Chris Sweeney at 329-7135 or ctsports@chroniclet.com and follow him @CSweeneyCT on Twitter.