Lake Erie Crushers News & Game Recaps

Pitching takes center stage in double header split

Box Link Game One: http://pointstreak.com/baseball/boxscoretext.html?gameid=563869

Box Link Game Two: http://pointstreak.com/baseball/boxscoretext.html?gameid=542513

AVON, Ohio — On a night where pitching reigned supreme at Mercy Health Stadium, the Lake Erie Crushers split a double header with the Joliet Slammers, taking game one 2-0, before falling 1-0 in game two.

Lake Erie (16-16) is now 4-4 in double headers this season while Joliet (13-18) won their first series since June 20 with the split.

Game One

The pitching was terrific on both sides throughout the first contest. Lake Erie drove in the first run in the bottom of the third. They had threatened two innings earlier after Isaac Benard’s one out double but couldn’t cash in. In the third, Steven Kraft reached on a single with one out in the inning then stole second base and came around to score on Trevor Achenbach’s two out RBI single to center.

Joliet’s first eight batters were retired by Paul Hall Jr. (2-1), who pitched a terrific game for the Crushers. He faced his biggest threat in the top of the fifth inning, when the Slammers had the bases loaded and one out, when he induced an inning ending double play ball, getting Tyler Depreta-Johnson to hit into the 4-6-3 twin killing.

Lake Erie added a big insurance run in the bottom of the fifth. Eric Callahan blasted a double to right field and scored a few moments later on a Benard’s two out double down the line in right field.

Hall Jr. picked up the victory in his finest start of the season. He tossed 5 2/3 scoreless innings and allowed just three hits while striking out seven batters. J.T. Perez (4) tossed 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief and fanned two batters to score the save. Tyler Jandron (1-3) took the loss, after allowing a pair of runs on six hits over six innings of work.

Game Two

The terrific pitching continued on both sides in the second game. The only run of the contest came in the top of the fourth inning. Braxton Davidson smacked a one out double which moved Brylie Ware to third. Ware scored a few moments later on a passed ball.

Lake Erie had their best chance to score in the bottom fifth. Connor Oliver began the inning with a double to right and Bryan DeLaRosa laid a sacrifice bunt down to move him over to third. However, Joliet starting pitcher Adam Zuck (1-1) struck out Zack Gray and Steve Passatempo to end the threat.

Zuck worked five scoreless innings and allowed just the double to Oliver and struck out six batters to pick up the win, while Trevor Charpie (7) worked a perfect seventh inning to pick up the save. Tyson Cronin pitched extremely well, but ended up taking the hard luck loss after allowing just an unearned run on three hits while striking out seven batters through six strong innings.

The Crushers will begin a brand new series at Mercy Health Stadium on Friday night as they welcome the Windy City Thunderbolts to town. Right-hander Jake Pilarski (0-0, 5.40) will get the start for the Crushers and the Thunderbolts will counter with lefty Kenny Mathews (1-4, 5.04). The first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM.