Lake Erie Crushers News & Game Recaps

Crushers Come From Behind to Beat Boomers

Lake Erie erases early deficits to take series opener, 7-5

Box Link: https://frontierleague.com/sports/bsb/2021-22/boxscores/20220816_c2jw.xml

AVON, Ohio —The Lake Erie Crushers came from behind to erase an early deficit at Mercy Health Stadium on Tuesday night, as they took the series opener in a 7-5 win over the Schaumburg Boomers.

The Crushers (39-40) have now won five out of their last six games, while the loss for Boomers (43-35) was their first in four games against the Crushers this season.

Schaumburg was able to get on the board first, scoring a pair of runs with two outs in the top of the first inning. Alec Craig led the game off with a base hit and moved to second on Mike Hart’s one out single. Clint Hardy drove them both home later in the inning on a two out single to left.

Lake Erie answered in the bottom of the second, when Kemuel Thomas-Rivera began the inning with a solo homer to left, his fifth of the season.

The Boomers added another run in the top of the fourth inning, on another two out hit. Brett Milazzo started the frame with a double and came around to score on Craig’s two out RBI single to left.

The Crushers sent eight batters to the plate and scored four times on three hits to take a 5-3 lead in the bottom of the fifth. Newly acquired D.J. Stewart started the inning with a double down the line in left. Austin White then walked, and Bryan DeLaRosa laid a sacrifice bunt down to move Stewart to third and White to second. Najee Gaskins then reached on a fielding error by shortstop Alec Craig which brought Stewart home. Lake Erie then executed a double steal which scored White to tie the game. Connor Owings followed with a RBI single to right to give Lake Erie the lead and he came around to score later in the inning on Kenen Irizarry’s RBI single up the middle.

Schaumburg answered with a run of their own in the top of the sixth inning. William Salas drove in the run on a two out RBI double down the right field line, which knocked Lake Erie starting pitcher Joseph Sgambelluri (8-5) out of the game. Walks were issued to the next two batters to load the bases for Chase Dawson and Kyle Seebach struck him out to end the inning.

Lake Erie was able to add two big insurance runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to pull away. DeLaRosa started the inning with a single to center and Gaskins moved him to second on a sacrifice bunt before a wild pitch put him on third. Owings brought DeLaRosa home on a sacrifice fly and Irizarry belted a run scoring single to plate Owings later in the inning.

Schaumburg added one last run in the top of the ninth inning when Mike Hart belted a solo homer to right.

Sgambelluri picked up the victory after allowing four runs on seven hits while fanning six batters through five and two-thirds. Alexis Rivero (14) surrendered a run on a hit in the ninth, but picked up the save. Nathan Holt and Sam Curtis both tossed scoreless innings in relief. Shumpei Yoshikawa (5-9) took the loss for the Boomers after allowing five runs, three earned on five hits over six innings.

Irizarry and Thomas-Rivera led the Crushers offensively with two hits each, on a night where  eight out of the starting nine reached safely at least once. Owings drove in a pair of runs and has now hit safely in six straight games.

The Crushers will continue their series with the Boomers at Mercy Health Stadium on Wednesday night. Right-hander Kevin Holcomb (1-0, 1.80) will get the start for the Crushers and the first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM.