Lake Erie Crushers News & Game Recaps

Home Sweet Home

Crushers return home for the first time in 15 days with 5-2 over New Jersey

Box Link: https://frontierleague.com/sports/bsb/2021-22/boxscores/20220729_bggb.xml

AVON, Ohio — The Lake Erie Crushers played their first home game in 15 days on Friday night at Mercy Health Stadium and came away with a 5-2 victory over the New Jersey Jackals.

The win for the Crushers (31-33) was their fourth straight at home while the loss for the Jackals (30-33) was their third in their last four games.

New Jersey fired the first shot in the top of the second inning. After Joseph Sgambelluri (6-4) retired the first two batters of the inning, the Jackals recorded three straight two out singles. Trevor Abrams and Austin Markman both hit singles to right before George Bell Jr. singled to left field to score Abrams.

Lake Erie’s offense went to work in the bottom of the third inning where they scored three times on three hits to take the lead. Sean Cheely belted a one out single before stealing second base and he came around to score on Connor Owings’s RBI single to center. Jackson Valera then doubled to right-center to put runners on second and third before Owings scored on a wild pitch. Kenen Irizarry brought in the final run of the inning on a sacrifice fly to center which scored Valera.

The Jackals were able to scratch another two out run across in the top of the fifth inning. Santiago Chirino drew a two out walk and came around to score on Dalton Combs’s RBI double down the line in left.

Jake Gitter, the reigning Frontier League hitter of the week added another run for the Crushers in the bottom of the sixth inning when he belted a solo homer to right, his seventh of the season to give Lake Erie a 4-2 lead.

The Crushers added one more insurance run in the bottom of the eighth inning. Kemuel Thomas-Rivera started the inning with a double down the line in left and scored on Irizarry’s RBI single to center.

Sgambelluri picked up the victory, tossing seven strong innings and allowed just a pair of runs on six hits while fanning six batters. Sam Curtis fanned three batters while tossing a scoreless eighth inning and Alexis Rivero (8) picked up the save by tossing a scoreless ninth inning. Angelo Baez (5-4) took the loss for the Jackals after allowing three runs, two earned on five hits over four innings of work.

Irizarry and Cheely paced the Crusher offense with two hits each. Cheely went 2-for-3 with a pair of singles while Irizarry went 2-for-3 with a pair of runs batted in.

The Crushers will continue their series with the Jackals at Mercy Health Stadium on Saturday night. Lefty Kyle Seebach will get the start for the Crushers and the first pitch is scheduled for 6:05 PM.