AVON, Ohio – The Lake Erie Crushers, presented by Mercy Health, won game two against the Joliet Slammers on Wednesday night, by a score of 2-1.
The Crushers (14-14) with the win have a chance to take the series on Thursday; something Lake Erie has not done in their past six series. While the Slammers (12-17) now drop to five games out of first in the East with the loss.
This game only went five innings due to the weather in Joliet. The rain started in the second inning but did not rain hard enough to delay the game. By the fourth inning the rain had picked up and started to pour at DuPage Medical Group Field. The two teams played through five innings but the game went into a rain delay once the fifth was over. After a 30 minute delay, the game resumed but only two batters for Lake Erie would take an at-bat in the top of the sixth before the game was delayed again. After another 20 minute rain delay, the game was officially called because of weather.
Jared Koenig (2-0) started for the Crushers and earned the win after he turned in another great start. Koenig threw all 5.0 innings of the rain shortened game, gave up only one run off two hits, walked three, and struck out six. Darin Osby (0-2) is credited with the loss after giving up two runs off of five hits in his outing. His final line read 5.0 innings thrown, giving up two runs off of five hits, walked two and struck out eight.
The offense started in the bottom of the first inning when Joliet scored the first run. Joliet’s only two hits came in the inning when Riley Krane and Harrison Bragg hit back-to-back one out singles off Koenig. After Bragg’s single, Koenig hit Ridge Hoopii-Haslam with a pitch to load the bases. With the bases loaded and only one out, Peyton Isaacson scored Hoopii-Haslam off an RBI groundout to make it 1-0.
The Crushers offense answered back in the top of the fourth inning with the two winning runs. Jake Vieth and Dale Burdick both hit singles to start the inning. With one out and runners at first and second, Emmanuel Marrero hit an RBI single to score Vieth. And two batters later, Bryan De La Rosa hit an RBI single of his own to score Burdick to make it a 2-1 lead. Shortly after the inning ended the game was sent into the first delay.
The Crushers offense had a lot of production from the middle of their lineup. Jake Vieth ended his day going 1-2 with a run scored. Dale Burdick went 1-3 with a run scored, and Emmanuel Marrero ended the day going 2-2 with a double, and an RBI single. De La Rosa’s clutch hit in the top of the fourth proved to be the difference maker in the game. He finished his day 1-2 with the game winning RBI single.
The Crushers will finish the three-game series with the Joliet Slammers at DuPage Medical Group Field on Thursday night. Left-hander Pat Ledet (1-0, 2.86) will get the start for the Crushers. While right-hander Scot Hoffman (3-1, 2.38) will be on the mound for the Slammers. The first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM.
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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