Crushers Defeat Freedom 16-4
Published on July 19, 2014 under Frontier League (FL)
Lake Erie Crushers News Release
AVON, Ohio-- The Lake Erie Crushers offense erupted for 16 runs on 11 hits one day after being shutout by the Florence Freedom, taking game two of the series 16-4 Saturday night at All Pro Freight Stadium.
The 16 runs for Lake Erie (28-25) were the most they have scored in a game this season. Florence (22-29) has now dropped 5 of their last 6 games with the loss.
The Crushers scored in every inning but two, and never trailed in the game. The put up multiple runs in four different innings. The Freedom answered Lake Erie's first charge and kept it close until the fifth inning when the Crushers rattled off 11 straight runs.
The scoring got started in the bottom half of the second. Vincent Mejia singled with one out to give the Crushers their first hit of the game. He then advanced to second on an error by the third baseman Sam Eberle and came around to score two batters later on a shot up the middle by Ryan Hutchison.
The one run lead was short lived. Matt Rein allowed a leadoff double to Zak Blair to start the third and Blair later came around to score after Juan Sanchez allowed a groundball to short go under his glove and into the outfield.
Lake Erie used an error in the third to keep the back and forth battle going. Craig Hertler walked to lead off the inning. The next batter Andrew Davis hit what looked like a double play ball to short, but Ben Kline misplayed it and also threw an errant throw to first. Anderson Hidalgo then belted a 2-1 pitch over the left center field fence to give the Crushers a three run lead, one they would never give up. Lake Erie added another run in the fourth when Sanchez doubled home Hutchison to extend the lead to four.
Florence made the game interesting in the fifth. The first two batters jumped on Matt Rein and ended his night. Blair led off with a double and came around to score on a 2-run home run to center by Caleb Bryson. Rein allowed two more runners to reach, before Brad Duffy ended the threat to keep the Crushers 5-3 lead.
Lake Erie then strung together 11 straight runs, scoring twice in the fifth, four times in the sixth, and five times in the eighth. Mejia walked with two outs in the fifth bringing up the left fielder Adam Ford. Ford hit the fourth pitch he saw over the right field fence for a home run, his first on the season. Those were two of the eleven runs the Crushers scored with two outs.
The Crushers got some more two-out magic in the sixth. Right hander Adam Krebs walked three of the first four batters he faced to load the bases with one out for Anderson Hidalgo. Krebs hit Hidalgo with a pitch to put the Crushers on top 8-3. After a Emmanuel Quiles ground out, Mejia cleared the bases with a double to the gap to extend the Lake Erie lead to eight.
The Crushers put up the last of their runs in the eighth, scoring all five with two outs. Hidalgo walked after Edgar Valle had retired Hertler and Todd Kibby to start the inning. Back to back singles by Quiles and Mejia loaded the bases for Adam Ford. Ford came through with a big hit yet again, clearing the bases on a standup double that went over the left fielders glove and all the way to the wall.
Florence added a run in the ninth inning against the Crusher bullpen, but the game was already out of reach. It was the first run the Lake Erie bullpen had allowed in 10.1 innings of work this series.
Brad Duffy (2-1) earned the victory pitching in relief of Matt Rein, recording the final two outs in the fifth inning. Former Crushers Dave Middendorf (3-5) took the loss allowing five runs on five hits in 3.2 innings of work.
The Crushers were led offensively by Vincent Mejia who had three hits and three runs batted in. Adam Ford had five runs batted in with a double and home run, his first of the season. Ryan Hutchison was the other Crusher with a multi-hit game and Anderson Hidalgo and Joey Burney also notched home runs in this one.
The rubber match of the series is scheduled for tomorrow afternoon at 1:05. Mickey Jannis (2-4, 4.89) will pitch for Lake Erie and the Freedom with lefty Peter Gehle (3-3, 3.68).
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