Lake Erie Crushers News & Game Recaps

Crushers Pitching Flourishes Again

May 19, 2023

Box Link: https://www.frontierleague.com/sports/bsb/2022-23/boxscores/20230519_zv8f.xml

AVON, Ohio – The Lake Erie Crushers took care of business during Game 1 of a three-game-set versus the Florence Y’alls, winning the contest 6-2. 

It was another terrific pitching display from Lake Erie in the opener. Angelo Baez earned the win after going 6.0 innings. He allowed just two runs on two hits, while fanning six and walking three.

The runs he allowed were the only ones to find the scoreboard for the Y’alls. In the first inning, Florence led off the game with a single from Cole Brannen, followed by a hit-by-pitch to Andres Rios. 

During the next at bat with Ray Zuberer III, a wild pitch was sent to the backstop. The catcher John Tuccillo had trouble finding it, and it was Baez who came all the way from the bump to gather the baseball. This allowed Brannen to go all the way from second to home, and put Rios on third.

A fielder’s choice from Brennan Price was able to score Rios, which made it 2-0. Baez stayed poised on the mound following the mishap, and limited the damage after getting Jeremiah Burks to fly out.

From then on the right-hander came out with vinegar in his veins. He set down the next seven men, and limited the Y’alls to just one more hit on three baserunners, capping his night off with a quality performance on the slab.

The Crushers offense was slow to get going, but one they did it was a traffic parade. Y’alls starter Jake McMahill faced the minimum through four frames of play. What was seemingly going to be a great performance for the Florence right-hander quickly came to a halt in the fifth inning. 

After a leadoff walk issued to Sicnarf Loopstok, Vincent Byrd Jr. hit a mammoth shot over the center field wall to even the score at two a piece. The next inning, the Crushers led off again with back-to-back baserunners, as Santiago Chirino drew a free pass and Brendon Dadson hit a ground rule double to right-center. After getting Jack Harris to fly out the next at bat, that ended the day for McMahill. 

The bullpen could not pick him up, though. Byrd Jr. came up again and knocked in Chirino with a fielder’s choice in the sixth inning. Dadson ended up scoring on a wild pitch. In the seventh, the Crushers got two massive insurance runs after John Tuccillo led off with a double, and was knocked in four pitches later by a Sean Cheely single. Cheely later came around to score off an RBI base-knock from Chirino, making the score 6-2.

In the last frame, Perry Bewley shut the door on the Y’alls. He led the inning off giving up a base hit, but struck out the next batter. After a fielder’s choice from Burks, he was on first with two away and tried to make something happen. He attempted to steal second base, and was unsuccessful as the cannon of an arm from Tuccillo was able to deliver a strike to catch Burks hand in the cookie jar. 

That was the final out, giving the Crushers a three game win streak, and moving their overall record to 5-2.