Guenther's Extra Inning Double Keeps Lake Erie Alive in Playoff Race
Published on August 30, 2024 under Frontier League (FL)
Lake Erie Crushers News Release
Joliet, IL - In (another) must-win game, the Lake Erie Crushers (50-43) came up clutch to beat the Joliet Slammers (37-57) in extra innings. The Schaumburg Boomers came back to beat Washington, meaning they remain in control of the final playoff spot with a .5 game lead with two games left.
Both Lake Erie and Joliet were without a baserunner until the 3rd inning, and it was Lake Erie to emerge with the first run. C Johnny Tuccillo singled to lead off the inning. He was followed by a CF Burle Dixon double before SS Jarrod Watkins drove in Tuccillo from third. The Slammers were able to escape without any further damage, but the Crushers led 1-0.
RHP Anthony Escobar worked through three no-hit innings to start his outing before giving up a one-out single to 2B Antonio Valdez. RF Jonathan Sierra drove in Valdez with a single to tie the game 1-1 in the 4th. Escobar kept the Slammers to just the one run, inducing a pop out and strikeout to end the frame.
The Crushers pushed right back in the 5th with two outs. Dixon drew a walk after working a 3-2 count, he stole second base, then scored on a 3B Logan Thomason single. The two-out lightning gave the Crushers the lead right back, 2-1.
Joliet threatened with two men on and one out in the 6th, but Escobar got another clutch strikeout, then finished off the inning to maintain the Lake Erie lead.
Slammers 3B Victor Nova hit a solo home run to lead off the bottom of the 7th. It was just the third home run given up by Escobar in his 19 starts in 2024. RHP Christian Scafidi relieved Escobar with two-outs and a man on second. He induced a groundout to end the inning, but both sides were knotted 2-2.
Twos remained the scoreline through the 9th as RHP Trevor Kuncl stranded a leadoff single in the Slammers' half of the 9th, sending the game to extras. Lake Erie's record in extras: 2-3. Joliet's: 5-7.
With 2B Alberti Chavez as the man on 2nd to start the inning, RHP Greyson Linderman got the first two outs in his second inning of work. LF Ronald Washington put in a bid for the lead with a hard shot up the middle, but Slammers' 2B Valdez made an incredible stop to keep the ball from going into center field. Chavez was forced to stop at 3rd.
The next batter was RF Jake Guenther, and in perhaps the biggest at-bat of the season, he delivered. He smacked a two-run double into the left field gap to not only give Lake Erie the lead, but also the ever-so-important second run on the road in extras. The Crushers led 4-2 going into the bottom of the 10th.
Who would emerge for Lake Erie on the mound? Who else? The multi-inning threat. Trevor Kuncl saw his two-run cushion and said, "All I need is one." He set down Joliet in order without even allowing the automatic runner at second to move.
Another scrappy, gritty win for Lake Erie, who has remembered how to win baseball games. Meanwhile, Gateway has now lost three in a row. The Crushers are in need of a net win and a net Schaumburg loss with two games to go.
Final 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 R H E
Lake Erie Crushers 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 4 10 0
Joliet Slammers 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 2 9 0
Lake Erie continues to chug along. They still need help from Washington, but they've taken care of their own business to be in the place they are with two games left. They play Joliet once again tomorrow, August 31st, at 7:05pm EST.
You can catch all the action on FLOBaseball.tv!
Frontier League Standings: https://frontierleague.com/ sports/bsb/2023-24/overall- standings
Be sure to also follow the Crushers on Instagram/Facebook/X @LECrushers!
Frontier League Stories from August 30, 2024
- Pindel Sets ERA Mark in Thunderbolts' Win - Windy City ThunderBolts
- ValleyCats Clinch First Playoff Berth Since 2018 with Win Over Miners - Tri-City ValleyCats
- Otters' Offense Arrives Too Late to Open Series - Evansville Otters
- Guenther's Extra Inning Double Keeps Lake Erie Alive in Playoff Race - Lake Erie Crushers
- Wild Things Fall After Ninth Inning Run in Weekend Opener - Washington Wild Things
- Boomers Put It Together Late to Solve Washington in Series Opener - Schaumburg Boomers
- Grizzlies Drop Third Straight Game - Gateway Grizzlies
- Bats Strike, Mink Shines in Gateway - Florence Y'alls
- FL Recap - FL
- Mendham' Big Night Not Enough in Series Finale - Evansville Otters
- Quigley, Martin Deliver Quality Outings & Propel New England to Game Three Victory - New England Knockouts
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