Lake Erie Crushers News & Game Recaps

Comeback Cut Short

Late Rally not enough for Crushers in 6-4 loss

Box Link: https://frontierleague.com/sports/bsb/2022-23/boxscores/20230601_uv0t.xml

AVON, Ohio — The Lake Erie Crushers were swept for the first time this season, as they saw their comeback efforts fall short in a 6-4 loss to the Gateway Grizzlies at Mercy Health Stadium on Thursday night.

The loss for the Crushers (8-10) was their fifth in their last six games while the win for the Grizzlies (14-4) was their eighth in a row.

The Crushers had chances to take the lead early on, but could not cash in. They stranded runners at second and third in the first inning and left the bases loaded in the second, before the Grizzlies took a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth on Jairus Richards’s RBI single.

Gateway delivered a big four run blow in the top of the fifth inning to dig a hole too deep for the Crushers to get out of. Gabe Holt brought in the first run on a RBI single through the right side and Eric Rivera followed with a three run homer to left, his second of the year.

In the sixth inning, the Grizzlies tacked on another run after Rivera was walked with the bases loaded to bring Alex Hernandez home.

Lake Erie was able to get on the board with a pair of runs in the bottom of the eighth. Jack Harris and Gabe Snyder stroked back-to-back doubles to start the inning, with Harris coming home on Snyder’s two bagger to right. Brendon Dadson singled Snyder home two batters later on a RBI single to center.

The Crushers made things interesting in the ninth. Kenen Irizarry reached on a one out single before Todd Isaacs Jr. walked. Jarrod Watkins followed with a RBI double to right to score Irizarry. Jack Harris then reached on an infield single to score Isaacs, but Watkins was thrown out at third base on the play.

Nate Garkow (3-1) picked up the win for Gateway after tossing two innings of scoreless relief. Yasel Santana (0-1) took the loss after allowing six runs, five earned on seven hits while walking seven through 5.2 innings of work.

On a night where the Crushers hit safely 10 times, they had three hit safely multiple times. Harris, Snyder and Dadson all hit safely twice on the night.

The Crushers will hit the road on Friday night to start a three game series with the Washington Wild Things. Right-hander Matt Mulhearn (2-0, 1.23) will get the start for the Crushers and the first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM.