Another call goes against Crushers, who fall to Wild Things

AVON — Lake Erie can't catch a break. A day after a controversial call took a two-run home run off the board, another one Saturday led to a four-run inning during a 5-2 loss to Washington at ForeFront Field. The Crushers will try to avoid being swept by the Frontier League-leading Wild Things when their three-game series concludes today at 1 p.m. "What professionals do is they turn the page and put yesterday away," Lake Erie manager Jared Lemieux said. "We've got a group of professionals here that know how to do that. This group is going to come in ready to fight tomorrow. They have a lot of class this group, they're a professional bunch that knows how to act that way." Washington (14-6) broke open the game in the third when E.J. Cumbo looked to be thrown out on a routine ground ball to short but was called safe. Instead of Ryan Ford coming to bat with two outs and nobody on, he moved Cumbo to third on a ground-rule double — that probably would have produced a run had it not bounced over the left-field wall — giving Antonio Monroy two in scoring position with one out. Monroy lined out, bringing up Andrew Czech, one of the best hitters in the Frontier League. Czech entered Saturday with a league-leading 26 RBIs and tied for fourth at seven home runs. He was unintentionally walked to load the bases, one of four walks on the evening for the Wild Things slugger. Cole Fowler went down in the count 0-2 but roped a fastball into left field to clear the bases. Caleb Ketchup drove him home to put the Wild Things up 4-0 and cap the inning. "It's frustrating because my boys work really hard," Lemieux said of the call. "I care a lot about them, I want them to find success and they deserve that." Third inning aside, Lake Erie (10-10) starter Fraynel Nova pitched excellent, going six innings and giving up five hits and five walks with eight strikeouts, but he also ultimately was tagged for all five runs. Nova was one pitch away from an immaculate inning in the sixth but wound up walking Three Hillier. He refocused to strike out the side. Nova faced the leadoff hitter in the seventh, but Lemieux went to the bullpen after he issued a walk to Ford. Edwin Sanchez had wild pitches on the next two at-bats, the second of which allowed Ford to score from second, giving Washington a 5-1 lead. "Nova was fantastic," Lemieux said. "He's a heck of a kid and he works his tail off. He deserved better than that. He got a raw deal on a play where it's just really unfortunate. He doesn't deserve that kind of treatment because he's one heck of a ballplayer. I'm just proud of the way he pitched." Washington starter Hector Garcia was nearly untouchable. He secured his eighth straight quality start by going seven innings and allowing one run on seven hits with no walks and six strikeouts. Garcia retired eight of the next nine once the Wild Things took the lead, but Lake Erie's Pavin Parks broke that streak in the fifth with a towering home run over the right-field wall. Alfredo Gonzalez added a solo home run in the ninth, but the Crushers couldn't rally further. Contact Chris Sweeney at 329-7135 or ctsports@chroniclet.com. Follow him @CSweeney1686 on X.