LAKE ERIE CRUSHERS News & Game Recaps

Schaumburg, IL – The Lake Erie Crushers (8-5) began a three-game weekend series against Schaumburg Boomers (9-3) dropping a rough game 9-8 in 10 innings.

The loss puts Lake Erie in third place in the Frontier League West standings.

The Crushers opened the door with a 5-run 1st inning, highlighted by a bunch of singles. DH Vincent Byrd Jr., LF Jack Harris, and 2B Ethan Skender all logged RBI singles in the opening frame. SS Jarrod Watkins drew a bases-loaded RBI walk, and 3B Walker Espinal logged a sacrifice fly to make it 5-0 Crushers.

Schaumburg would start to chip away as LF Aaron Simmons launched an RBI double before C Felix Aberouett would knock him in with a single, making it 5-2 Lake Erie after two innings.

Ethan Skender would get one back for the Crushers as he connected for his second homer of the season in the top of the 4th, putting the score 6-2 over Schaumburg.

An error by Crushers SS Jarrod Watkins would allow a run to score in the bottom half of the inning, giving the run back, 6-3.

A CF Burle Dixon RBI double in the top of the 6th would put the Crushers up 7-3, but it would be short lived. The bottom of the 6th would see four runs cross the plate for the Boomers, tying things up at seven. A Walner Espinal fielding error would lead to three of the four runs being unearned.

Errors would be the biggest issue in the game for Lake Erie.

Then, the rains came…

After the conclusion of the 7th inning, the tarp was brought onto the field in Schaumburg, and a lengthy delay would force both teams to their dugouts.

Once play would commence, both sides would go scoreless into extra innings.

Lake Erie would take advantage of PR Sean Cheely’s speed, scoring him on a RF Ronald Washington RBI single. However, an important out was recorded, getting PH John Tuccillo out at 3rd base, which would erase the second extra inning run from the base paths. Schaumburg would get out of the inning with the score 8-7 Lake Erie.

Crushers Brayden Bonner would come on to try to save it, but tossed a wild pitch, allowing the automatic runner, Will Prater, to advance to third. After inducing a popout for out number one, Boomers Chase Dawson grounded a slowly hit ball to Jarrod Watkins at short. Coming up in the wet grass, Watkins’ throw was wide, allowing the tying run to score and Dawson to advance to second.

With one out, Aaron Simmons flew a ball deep down the line in left field, allowing Dawson to score the winning run in the bottom of the 10th.

A gut-wrenching loss for the Crushers as they drop game one of the series and their third straight dating back to Wednesday.

Lake Erie will face off in Schaumburg once again on Saturday at 4pm EST. Anthony Escobar gets the ball, hoping to stop the losing skid.