Lake Erie defeats Evansville, 8-5
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Evansville, Ind. – After a comeback fell short, the Lake Erie Crushers (14-18) looked to even the series on Saturday night against the first place Evansville Otters (20-11). The Crushers early lead wasn’t enough for a win in nine innings as the Crushers defeated the Otters in 10 innings, 8-5.
Lake Erie started the power in the first inning. Two out solo home run from the left side of the plate of Kenen Irrizaty, gave the Crushers an early 1-0 lead. In the fourth inning, Jake Gitter hit a solo home run to right field, his first as a Crusher, 2-0. The Crushers continued the offense in the fifth inning. The hottest hitter for Lake Erie, Chris Owings lined a two RBI single to left field extending the lead, 4-0.
Gunnar Kines received the start for Lake Erie and racked up the strikeouts in his outing. Kines started his performance with four scoreless innings. He ran into trouble as he gave up a run in the fifth and sixth inning. Elijah MacNamee was the first on the board for the Otters with a solo home run to left field, 4-1. In the sixth inning Eiijah MacNamee continued his hot day at the plate with an RBI single to left field, Zach Biermann scored, 4-2. Kines’ outing finished after the sixth inning, allowing four hits, two runs, one walk, and 10 strikeouts.
Evansville, not going away, scored in the eighth and ninth innings. In the eighth, Steven Sensley drove the baseball over the wall in right field for a solo home run, 4-3. With two outs remaining in the ninth, Miles Gordan kept the game alive with a solo home run to right field, 4-4.
Going into extra innings where the runner starts on second with no outs. Ronnie Allen drew a bases loaded walk with two outs, 5-4. The next batter Bryant Flete did the same, drew a bases loaded walk, 6-4. Sean Cheely poked a ball to right field that scored two runs in Ronnie Allen and Jake Gitter, 8-4.
Alexis Rivero, came out in the tenth inning after not being able to convert the save in the ninth inning. Jeffery Baez for the Otters scored on a wild pitch, 8-5, that was the only run as Rivero closed the door, received the win, Lake Erie won 8-5 to set up the rubber match on Sunday.
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