Crushers lose the game by a score of 5-3 to Schaumburg
AVON, Ohio — The Lake Erie Crushers, presented by Mercy Health, dropped the first game of the important three-game series with the Schaumburg Boomers by a final score of 5-3
The Crushers (43-38) drop a game in the standings with the loss and are now up by only 2.5 games for first on the Boomers. While the Boomers (41-41) improve to 4-10 in the month of August with the win.
Lake Erie got a quality start from their starter Jared Koenig but could not provide timely run support. Koenig threw well tonight as he gave up three runs, only one earned on seven hits, walked one and struck out five over his 7.0 innings of work. Augie Gallardo (1-2) got the loss in this one as he gave up the go-ahead runs in the bottom of the eighth inning. Darrell Thompson (4-0) picked up the win as he gave up one run over his 2.0 innings of work. Connor Eller (19) earned the save as he shut the door on the Crushers in the top of the ninth inning.
The scoring started early for the Boomers in the first inning. Clint Hardy hit a one out single to get things rolling. On the next batter, Chase Dawson looked like he hit what should have been an inning ending double play but when Aaron Hill tried to turn two, his throw went past Burdick to allow Dawson to reach on the throwing error. On the throwing error, Dawson took advantage and went into scoring position. Then Quincy Nieporte hit a routine ground ball to third that hit off Brody Wofford’s glove to allow Nieporte to reach and Dawson to score the first run. A batter later, Matt Rose hit an RBI double to score Nieporte and make it a 2-0 game.
In the top of the second inning the Boomers added to their lead. Jimmy Galusky hit a double off Koenig to start the inning. Koenig got the next batter to ground out for the first out of the inning, but it was productive as it moved Galusky over 90 feet. With the runner on third, Alex Polston hit an RBI sac fly to make it a three-run Schaumburg lead.
It was a 3-0 game until the top of the fifth inning. Bryan De La Rosa drew a walk to lead off the inning and then moved into scoring position a batter later on a double hit by Zach Racusin. Aaron Hill then stepped up for the Crushers and hit an RBI groundout to score De La Rosa and cut the deficit down by one. The next batter, Emmanuel Marrero, jumped in on the fun and hit an RBI double to score Racusin and make it a 3-2 game.
In the top of the seventh, Hill came up clutch again for the Crushers. With Darrell Thompson on the mound in relief, Hill hit a solo homer to start the inning and tie the game at three. After the homer Thompson retired the next three in a row to get out of the inning.
Lake Erie turned to their best relief pitcher to come on to pitch in the bottom of the eighth. Augie Gallardo came into the outing having given up only four earned runs over 40.2 innings pitched. And Schaumburg did what not many teams in the Frontier League have been able to do, score earned runs against Gallardo. Gallardo walked the first batter he faced then gave up a single to put runners on the corners and no outs. Dawson then hit an RBI sac fly to score the go-ahead run and put the Boomers up 4-3. But Schaumburg did not stop there. With heads up baserunning, Clint Hardy scored from third on a wild pitch to make it a two run Boomers lead.
The Crushers put together a small threat in the ninth but failed to make anything happen. The loss is a tough one for Lake Erie, but it is not the end of the world. Crushers still have an opportunity to win the series if they can figure it out over the next two games. This is an important series for the Crushers to win if they want to sit comfortably in first place heading into the last two weeks of the season.
The Crushers will continue the three-game series with the Schaumburg Boomers on Saturday at Boomers Stadium in Schaumburg, Illinois. Sam Curtis (0-1, 2.07) will be on the mound for Lake Erie. While the Boomers will counter with Gunnar Kines (6-5, 2.51).
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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