Lake Erie Crushers News & Game Recaps

Undone in the Fifth

Six-run fifth inning buries Crushers in series finale

Box Link: https://frontierleague.com/sports/bsb/2022-23/boxscores/20230702_4d3y.xml

AVON, Ohio — The New York Boulders used a six run fifth inning to pull away from the Lake Erie Crushers at Mercy Health Stadium on Sunday afternoon, as the Boulders took the rubber match with a 12-4 victory. 

The loss for the Crushers (18-27) marked their sixth straight series loss, while the win for the Boulders (25-18) marked the 300th career victory for manager TJ Stanton.

The Boulders took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning when Chris Kwitzer reached on an infield single with the bases loaded to score Gabriel Garcia.

Lake Erie took their lone lead of the contest in the bottom of the fourth. Jack Harris started the inning with a double to left. Jarrod Watkins followed with a single before Kemuel Thomas-Rivera walked to load the bases. Sean Cheely and Tyree Bradley followed with back-to-back Sacrifice flies to score Harris and Watkins, giving Lake Erie a 2-1 lead.

New York responded with a six run fifth inning to take the lead for good. The inning began on a triple from Pat Kivlehan, who eventually scored on a wild pitch to tie the game. With two out in the inning, Jimmy Costin ripped a two run double down the line in left and Joe Deluca followed with the back breaker, a three run homer to left, his seventh of the season.

The Crushers were able to get one of those runs back in the bottom of the fifth, when Jackson Pritchard belted a solo homer to left, his first of the season.

The Boulders answered quickly with another run on the top of the sixth inning when Thomas Walraven drove Kivlehan home on a sacrifice fly. New York added two more in the eighth and a pair in the ninth.

Lake Erie scored their final run of the contest in the bottom of the eighth inning when Cheely singled to left to score Jarrod Watkins.

Dawson Lane (3-1) picked up the win for the Boulders after allowing a trio of runs on four hits while walking four and fanning four over five innings of work. Jonaiker Villalobos (0-1) took the loss in his Crusher debut after surrendering seven runs on seven hits with five walks and five strikeouts through 4.2 innings.

Watkins led the Lake Erie offense with three hits on the day, going 3-for-5 and scored a pair of runs. He doubled in the eighth to give him 15 on the season.

The Crushers will continue their homestand and begin a three game series with the Evansville Otters on Monday night at Mercy Health Stadium. Lefty Kyle Seebach (1-3, 5.13) will get the start for the Crushers and the Otters will counter with right-hander Zach Smith (4-1, 2.83). The first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM.