Lake Erie Crushers News & Game Recaps

Two Close Calls

Crushers fall in two close games to New Jersey

Game One Box Link: https://frontierleague.com/sports/bsb/2021-22/boxscores/20220609_3jp1.xml

Game Two Box LInk: https://frontierleague.com/sports/bsb/2021-22/boxscores/20220609_o0ua.xml

AVON, Ohio — The Lake Erie Crushers dropped a pair of close games to the New Jersey Jackals on Thursday night at Mercy Health Stadium, falling 3-2 in game one before dropping the finale, 5-4.

The Crushers (10-14) saw their four game home winning streak snapped in the double header sweep, while the Jackals (9-12) scored their first series victory since May 18.

Game One

Picking up a rain suspended game from Wednesday night, Lake Erie fired the first shot when Nick Cicci belted a two run homer to left, his first of the season in the bottom of the second inning.

The Jackals got on the board in the top of the third when Todd Isaacs stroked a RBI single to score Trevor Abrams. Abrams struck again in the top of the seventh inning, when he smashed a two run homer to right, his fifth of the season to give the Jackals a 3-2 lead.

Lake Erie had plenty of chances to score, as they had base runners in every inning of the contest, but left 10 men on base in the loss.

Mizuki Akatsuka (1-0) picked up the win, tossing four scoreless innings of three hit relief and fanned four batters. Juan Perez (3) scored the save after tossing a scoreless ninth inning. Brock Begue (0-2) took the loss after allowing two runs on four hits over 3.1 innings of work.

Game Two

Santiago Chirino belted a solo homer to left, his first of the season in the top of the first inning to give the Jackals the lead. New Jersey added two more in the third inning on a RBI single from Alfredo Marte and a run scoring double from Justin Wylie.

Lake Erie battled back with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth inning on Kokko Figueiredo’s double to left center that scored Jackson Valera and Bryant Flete. The Crushers tied the game in the seventh when Carter Hayes scored on Kenen Irizarry’s sacrifice fly.

In the eighth, Dalton Combs and Wylie stroked RBI singles to give the Jackals a 5-3 lead. Lake Erie was only able to respond with one in the bottom of the inning on Figueiredo’s RBI single.

Angelo Baez (1-0) picked up the win for New Jersey, allowing a run on two hits over an inning of work. Christian Tessitore (1) scored the save after allowing just an unearned run on a hit while striking out two in the eighth inning. Sam Curtis (1-1) took the loss after allowing a pair of runs on two hits in one inning of work.

Rodney Tennie led Lake Erie offensively, with a pair of multi-hit games in the double header. He hit safely twice in the opener and went 3-for-3 in the finale. Figueiredo hit safely twice in the second game and had three hits on the night.

The Crushers will begin a three game series with the Joliet Slammers at Mercy Health Stadium on Friday night. Julio Vivas (1-3, 3.54) is scheduled to start for the Crushers. The first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM.