Boomers Set the Tone Early, Hold off Lake Erie
August 20, 2024 - Frontier League (FL)
Schaumburg Boomers News Release
AVON, Ohio - The Schaumburg Boomers bounced the league's leader in ERA after just two innings, building an early 5-0 advantage but needed to hold off a ninth inning rally to open a key mid-week series with a 7-5 victory over the Lake Erie Crushers, drawing within 2.5 games of the final West Division playoff spot.
The first two batters of the contest reached following lengthy at bats as Alec Craig walked and Andrew Sojka followed with a single. Christian Fedko put down a sacrifice bunt and the first run of the game came across on a wild pitch. Chase Dawson registered an RBI single to push the lead to 2-0. Three more would score in the second with another run scoring on a wild pitch before Craig plated two with a double. The second was the last for Anthony Escobar, who came into the game with a 1.97 ERA. Lake Erie would not go away, but the Boomers were able to tack on insurance runs in the fourth and fifth on a safety squeeze from Sojka and an RBI single from Allante Hall.
The zeroes started accumulating on the scoreboard in the sixth. Lake Erie used six pitchers in the game, the last four of which did not allow a run. After the first two were retired in the bottom of the ninth Lake Erie recorded four straight walks and saw a 390-foot strike that could have ended the contest but Jake Joyce shut the door for his 13th save, pulling within one of Dexter Price's all-time franchise record.
Cole Cook became the franchise's single season leader in strikeouts, fanning eight in six innings including six in the first three. Cook surpassed the mark of 117 set by Shumpei Yoshikawa in 2022 with his second consecutive strikeout in the second. Mitch White worked 2.2 innings, striking out four. The pitching staff struck out 13 in the game.
The offense finished with eight hits, but just three over the final seven innings. The team did draw 10 walks to match a season high and also saw a runner reach on a hit by pitch. There was traffic on the bases in every inning but the seventh for the Boomers, who left 13 on base. Tyler Depreta-Johnson reached base four times, registering two hits to go with two walks. Craig also reached four times, coaxing three walks in addition to the two-run double.
The Boomers (43-41) have two more games in Ohio to open the six-game roadtrip, facing the Crushers again on Wednesday night at 5:35pm Central. There are just three home games left at Wintrust Field on the 2024 schedule. Tickets for those remaining contests are now on sale! Make plans to be part of the fun this summer before it's too late! Visit boomersbaseball.com or call 847-461-3695 to secure yours.
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Frontier League Stories from August 20, 2024
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