Crushers Drop Heart-Throbber to Schaumburg in Opener, Comeback Falls a Few Feet Left

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FL Lake Erie Crushers

Crushers Drop Heart-Throbber to Schaumburg in Opener, Comeback Falls a Few Feet Left

August 20, 2024 - Frontier League (FL)
Lake Erie Crushers News Release


Avon, OH - August's first cold day of the year caused some trouble for the Crusher's pitching staff. The Schaumburg Boomers (44-41) picked up a game on the Lake Erie Crushers (46-38), winning by a 7-5 score and pulling to within 2.5 games of the final playoff position in the West Division.

Lake Erie starting pitcher RHP Anthony Escobar struggled on the mound, pitching through just two innings of play while giving up five hits and five runs. It was far and away Escobar's least effective start of 2024, and it came in uncharacteristic fashion as he couldn't find a put-away pitch against the Boomers lineup. Schaumburg led 5-0 after their first two frames at the dish.

In response, 3B Logan Thomason snuck a grounder down the 3rd base line in the bottom of the 2nd for the Crusher's first run on an RBI double. Mr. XBH now has 19 doubles on the season, and this one made the score 5-1.

DH Vincent Byrd Jr. plated a pair of runs in the 4th with a shattered bat single, making the score 6-3 with Schaumburg getting a run in the 4th off RHP Leonardo Rodriguez.

Unfortunately for the Crushers, the pitching staff just continued to hemorrhage runs, as the Boomers took advantage of a two-out hit-by-pitch in the 5th which came around to score.

With the tally 7-3 for Schaumburg, CF Jack Harris put a run on his own back with a solo homer to the opposite field to get back within three. Harris is up to eight homers in 2024, approaching his career high as a professional.

The 7-4 score held until the 9th inning, when RHP Mitch White of Schaumburg suddenly started to lose control. He walked two batters with two outs (just one out away from earning a three inning save), and he was removed for the closer, RHP Jake Joyce, who faced the tying run, 2B Alberti Chavez.

Then, Joyce couldn't find the strike zone. He walked Chavez to put the tying run on base and the winning run at the plate in Jack Harris. With a homer under his belt already in the game, Harris made a bid for the ultimate walk-off grand slam, down three...but he hooked it ever so slightly, peeling it just foul down before it got to the left field foul pole. The shot landed 406 feet away from home plate, and it was fair for a good bit, but Joyce escaped by the skin of his teeth.

Harris ended up drawing a walk against Joyce, putting the winning run at first base with a run in, the score, now, 7-5.

After four straight Crushers started ahead in the count, 2-0, Joyce was able to find his feel, getting ahead of RF Jake Guenther (who already had two hits in the game) and striking him out to end the ballgame with the tying run at second base.

A heart-throbber in Lake Erie on a Tuesday night, but the Crushers hardly did themselves any favors. Lake Erie pitching issued a season high 10 walks to the Boomers, who were content to take the free bases all night long. When you walk 10 batters, your chances of winning are slim as it is. Perhaps with the cooler temperatures, the pitching staff wasn't getting the best of grips on the baseball on Tuesday.

Also, leading off the bottom of the 9th, Vincent Byrd Jr. tagged a ball down the left field line that got down for a hit, but he was thrown out at second base for the first out of the ninth. With the Crushers down three, taking the extra 90 feet was unnecessary, but alas, the Crushers had to manage with one less out and one less baserunner in the 9th. You can never assume outcomes, but the mental mistake definitely seemed to cost the Crushers as they made a bid for the comeback.

The win for the away side was handed to LHP starter Cole Cook. He was consistent on the mound through six innings, striking out eight while allowing four runs and walking just one.

Final 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E

Schaumburg Boomers 2 3 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 7 8 0

Lake Erie Crushers 0 1 0 2 1 0 0 0 1 5 11 0

The Crushers now look to Wednesday, August 21 at 6:35pm EST, for the second game of the series against Schaumburg from Crushers Stadium. It will be a fun-filled Sensory Friendly Night, as kids get to run the bases after the game!

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Frontier League Stories from August 20, 2024


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