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Lake Erie Crushers

Crushers cure Corn Crib curse

July 26, 2014 - Frontier League (FL)
Lake Erie Crushers News Release


NORMAL, Ill. -- The Lake Erie Crushers outlasted the Normal Cornbetlers at the Corn Crib on Friday evening, pounding out 15 hits in an 8-6 victory.

The victory for the Crushers (32-27) snapped a five-game losing streak at the Corn Crib, going back to the 2012 season, while the loss for the Cornbelters (28-30) was their sixth in their last eight games since the All Star break.

The game was not pretty, as the two teams combined to score 14 runs on 30 hits and a whopping nine errors.

Juan Sanchez had a huge night for the Crushers, hitting safely four times, and he began the game with a triple to center. He came home moments later on Craig Hertler's sacrifice fly to give the Crushers an early advantage.

Normal answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the first inning. The inning began with three consecutive singles. Mike Schwartz's base hit was the third in that equation, and plated Joimar Veras to tie the game. With two outs, Richard Lucas singled to left to score Schwartz, to tie the game. The Cornbelters could have done more, but they had two runners thrown out at home plate in the inning.

Lake Erie came right back with a pair of runs to regain the lead in the top of the second, and they were assisted by a pair of errors. Vince Mejia reached on shortstop Pat McKenna's fielding error to begin the inning, and Emmanuel Quiles followed with a single to right. On the play, right fielder Sam Judah's throw to third in an attempt to throw out Mejia ended up in the Lake Erie dugout, which plated Mejia and put Quiles on third. Quiles scored later in the inning when Kevin Franchetti bounced into a 6-4-3 double play.

The Cornbelters tied the game by capitalizing on a Lake Erie error with two outs in the bottom of the second. The bases were loaded with two outs when McKenna hit a ground ball to third, but Anderson Hidalgo's throw was wide of the bag at first, and the errant throw allowed Tyler Shover to score.

The Crushers added two more in the third, and a pair of runs in the fourth to pull away. Back-to-back singles from Andrew Davis and Hidalgo started the inning, and Davis scored as Quiles reached on a fielder's choice. Adam Ford then brought Hidalgo home on a sacrifice fly. Hidalgo and Davis struck again in the fourth. Davis's sac fly scored Juan Sanchez, and Hertler came home moments later on a single from Hidalgo.

Lake Erie would get one final run in the top of the seventh, capitalizing on another Normal error. Ryan Hutchison made it all the way to third on a fly ball that was dropped and booted by Veras in center, and Sanchez really made the error sting with a single through the left side of the infield to score Hutchison.

Normal scored a single run in the sixth, before making things interesting with a pair of runs in the seventh. McKenna and Schwartz belted back-to-back one out RBI singles in the eighth inning, and the 'Belters had runners on second and third with two outs, when Trevor Longfellow (2) struck out Aaron Dudley to put out the fire and keep the Crushers in the lead.

Mickey Jannis (3-4) took the victory for the Crushers after allowing four runs on 10 hits with four strikeouts over 5.1 innings of action, while Longfellow scored the save, after keeping the Cornbelters off the board for the final 1.1 innings, and fanned four batters along the way. Corey MacDonald (3-2) took the loss after allowing five runs on seven hits over three innings.

Four Crushers recorded multiple hits on the night, and Sanchez led the way, going 4-for-5 and reached five times on the night, extending his hitting streak to 10 games in the process. Hidalgo had three hits on the night, going 3-for-5 and has now reached in seven straight games. Hertler hit safely twice as well, extending his on base streak to 12 games and Hutchison went 2-for-4 on the night.

The Crushers will finish their three game series against the Normal Cornbelters at the Corn Crib on Saturday night. Lefty Todd Kibby (5-2, 2.14) will throw for the Crushers, and the Cornbelters will counter with right hander Cullen Babin (5-4, 4.27). The first pitch is scheduled for 8:00 PM.

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