Lake Erie Crushers News & Game Recaps

August 02, 2023

Box Score – https://www.frontierleague.com/sports/bsb/2022-23/boxscores/20230802_tdip.xml

CRESTWOOD, IL – The Lake Erie Crushers went down the warpath against the Windy City ThunderBolts, falling by a final score of 4-3. The club has now dropped a season-worst six games straight.

The Crushers (27-41) have won just a single series since the All-Star break, and continue to struggle on the road. They fought hard against the ThunderBolts (29-38) tonight, but couldn’t pull through. Lake Erie is now 0-for-10 while playing in a series away from home.

Windy City scored first blood with three runs in the opening inning. After the bases were loaded with one out, Micah Yonamine, Jake Boone and Dan Robinson all drove in men to put the ThunderBolts ahead early.

Lake Erie responded with one of their own in the top of the second inning. Scout Knotts drove in Drue Galassi with a double to right-center field. 

The offense kept rolling in the fourth inning. Galassi stepped to the dish and blasted a two-run shot over the right field wall which scored Jack Harris, and just like that the score was tied at three a piece.

Things were quiet offensively for both sides until the seventh inning. In the bottom of the frame, Peyton Isaacson doubled in Bren Spillane to give Windy City the lead back. \

That would be all the offense needed, as Lake Erie could not find the scoreboard again and would end up losing another tight-knit game. The Crushers have played in 19 one-run games this year, of which they have lost 11.

Angelo Baez (4-6) went 6.0 innings allowing the three runs in the first frame as Lake Erie’s starter tonight. Darien Ragins (4-3) picked up the loss after giving up the lead late. He pitched 2.0 innings and struck out four ThunderBolts.

Garrett Christman (6-2) earned the win and went 7.0 innings for Windy City. He gave up all three of the Crushers’ runs on six hits while striking out eight. Daiveyon Whittle tallied his eighth save of the year after slamming the door in the ninth inning. 

Galassi had a multi-hit, multi-RBI and multi-run game, with two in each department. He was the only Crushers player with more than one in any category. As a team, Lake Erie struck out 11 times and did not walk.

The Crushers will try to avoid getting swept for the second series in a row tomorrow as they finalize the series versus the ThunderBolts. The first pitch will be at 6:35 PM CDT before they head to Joliet to face the Slammers.