Lake Erie Crushers News & Game Recaps

June 17, 2023

Box Score: https://www.frontierleague.com/sports/bsb/2022-23/boxscores/20230617_ggyp.xml?view=plays&inning=10

POMONA, NY – The Lake Erie Crushers dropped a tight one to the New York Boulders in extra innings by a final score of 10-9. The Crushers (15-17) had chances to put the game away, but the Boulders (18-13) battled back and stole a win from Lake Erie tonight.

The Crushers jumped on the board in the first inning. After Todd Isaccs Jr. led off the game by reaching on an error, Kemuel Thomas-Rivera hit a two-run shot over the left field wall to give the Crushers an early advantage.

The Boulders tied the game in the bottom of the second. After a leadoff walk and a run scored off of a fielder’s choice, Giovanni Garbella hit a solo shot past the short porch in right field to even the score at two.

The Boulders took the lead in the sixth inning and added one more in the seventh to give New York a two-run advantage.

The Crushers battled back though, and for the second straight night, they scored multiple runs in the eighth inning, with tonight’s total being five, which allowed the Grapes to take a 7-4 lead. It was thanks to four players coming up with big knocks: a two-RBI double from Jarod Watkins, an RBI single from Gabe Snyder, an RBI double from Sean Lawlor, and a fielder’s choice RBI from Rivera.

The Crushers gave two back in the bottom of the eighth, and after a scoreless top of the ninth, it was a one-run advantage for Lake Erie that they could not hold onto. After a one-out single from Tucker Nathans, he was moved to third on a wild pitch and a balk issued by Sam Curtis. A double down the left field line from Thomas Walraven tied the game.

In the 10th inning, the Crushers had runners on first and second when Lawlor came to the plate. It was another double for Lawlor, this time with a pair of runs coming to score as the Grapes once again took a multiple-run lead.

The fun did not last long though. After a leadoff walk beginning the frame, the fourth error of the night by the Crusher defense led two runs to the plate off a bad throw from Lawlor at third. It also put the game-winning run 90 feet from scoring, and two batters later Andrew Hammond delivered a base hit to the outfield to score the final run.

There were lots of ups and lots of downs for the Crushers tonight, but the Crushers swallowed a tough pill tonight and will have to shake it off for tomorrow’s final game of their six-game road series.

The first pitch is at 1:30 PM ET as the Crushers still have a chance to take the series against the Boulders in the rubber match. With a win during the Sunday matinee, the Grapes would close out the trip 3-3 before heading back to the shores of Lake Erie.