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Lake Erie Crushers

Lake Erie Crushers D. Florence

July 8, 2017 - Frontier League (FL)
Lake Erie Crushers News Release


AVON, Ohio -- The Lake Erie Crushers, presented by Mercy, used three big innings to push past the Florence Freedom on Friday night at Sprenger Health Care Stadium in an 11-5 victory.

The win for the Crushers (21-27) was their third in a row, and their fifth in their last seven games, while the loss for the Freedom (32-17) was their third in a row and their fifth in their last six games.

The Crushers fired the first shot, delivering early, with a four-run first inning. L.J. Kalawaia got things started with a bunt base hit, and scored the game's first run on Brandon Murray's RBI double down the line in right. Murray was driven home two batters later on Cody Lenehan's two out RBI single to left, and Austin capped the big inning with his first professional homerun, a two-run blast to left.

Florence used the long ball to plate their first run of the contest, as Collins Cuthrell started the top of the second inning with a solo homer to left, his fifth of the season. They would get another solo shot in the top of the fourth, as Andrew Godbolt blasted his fifth homer of the season, sending it over the wall in center to cut the Crusher lead in half (4-2).

The Freedom pulled a little bit closer in the top of the fifth. They had runners on first and second with two outs, when Jose Brizuela hit a flare into shallow center field that fell for a base hit, scoring Austin Wobrock to bring Florence within one (4-3).

Sean Hurley put a cork in Florence's attempt at a comeback, with a back-breaking two-out homer in the fifth. Trevor Achenbach started the inning with a base hit, and Kalawaia followed with a walk. Eric Gleese (0-1) struck out the next two batters he faced, before Hurley blasted a three-run homer to right-center, his ninth of the season to give the Crushers a 7-3 advantage.

Lake Erie added four more runs in the bottom of the sixth to pull away. They had the bases loaded with one out, when Kalawaia belted a bases clearing three-run triple to right, and he came home moments later on Dean's sacrifice fly to give the Crushers an 11-3 lead.

Florence added two more runs on a pair of solo homers from Brizuela and Jordan Brower but it was not enough.

Juan Caballero (3-1) picked up the victory for the Crushers after allowing a trio of runs on five hits while fanning five over five innings of work. Gleese took the loss, allowing nine runs on eight hits with seven strikeouts over 5.1 innings of work.

Eight out of the starting nine in the Lake Erie lineup reached safely at least once, while seven of those hit safely at least once. Kalawaia and O'Brien led the way with two hits each, and Kalawaia extended his on base streak to 15 games in the process.

The Crushers will continue their three-game series with the Florence Freedom at Sprenger Health Care Stadium on Saturday night. Right-hander Payton Lobdell (2-6, 8.22) will make the start for the Crushers and the Freedom will counter with right-hander Enrique Zamora (1-0, 2.94).The first pitch is scheduled for 6:05 PM.

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