AVON, Ohio — The Lake Erie Crushers, presented by Mercy Health, could not capitalize on multiple opportunities in the final game of the series and lost on the road 3-2 to River City.
The Crushers (35-29) went 3-4 on the road trip this week with the loss. While the Rascals (37-28) win their seventh out of their last 10 with the win.
Evy Ruibal (1-2) gets the loss today as he gave up the go-ahead run in the bottom of the eighth inning. Taylor Sugg (1-0) picked up his first win of his season as he pitched a scoreless eighth inning.
It was quite the pitcher’s duel tonight between Paul Hall Jr. and Alex Winkelman. Hall Jr. started his third game of the year for the Crushers tonight and threw well. Hall Jr. threw 6.0 innings where he gave up two runs on five hits, walked six and struck out four. Winkelman started for the Rascals today and also turned in a great outing. Winkelman gave up two runs on five hits, walked four and struck out one over his 5.1 innings.
The Crushers offense started the scoring in this one with a solo home run hit by Dale Burdick to lead off the second inning.
In the next half inning, River City took the lead. Hall Jr. struck out the first batter of the inning but then walked James Morisano. Nick Anderson followed the walk with a base hit to left to put runners on first and second. Hall Jr. was then able to strike out the next batter for a huge second out. But on a 1-2 count, Kameron Esthay put River City ahead with a two-run single to make it a 2-1 game.
The score stayed the same until the top of the fifth inning. Aaron Hill started the inning with a walk and then advanced into scoring position one batter later off Zach Racusin’s hit. With the runners on and no outs Emmanuel Marrero hit into a 6-4-3 double play. Hill advanced to third on the double play and then scored on a wild pitch to tie the game at two.
In the bottom of the eighth inning, Evy Ruibal was in his second inning of relief on short rest. He got the first two batters out with no problem but then gave up a solo home run to Morisano to give River City the lead.
The Crushers will have Monday off but will start a six-game homestand on Tuesday. The Evansville Otters will come into Avon for Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday while the River City Rascals will come for the weekend.
The Lake Erie Crushers, the 2009 Frontier League Champions, and 2011 Frontier League Organization of the year, play ball at Sprenger Health Care Stadium, a 5,000 capacity stadium located in Avon, Ohio. The Frontier League is an independent baseball league with 10 teams operating throughout the Midwest. For more information on tickets, promotions and team news, visit the team website at www.LakeErieCrushers.com or call 440-934-3636.
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