By: Braeden Jones
AVON, OH – Even with four of their five scoring plays being from home runs, the Lake Erie Crushers (20-27) still could not beat out a Joliet Slammers (20-25) team who always just barely stayed in the lead. The Slammers would win 10-8 to take home the series in just two games against the Crushers on Wednesday.
Like yesterday, the Slammers got on the scoreboard first once the top of the 2nd inning came around. Blake Berry started the half-inning by getting a double, and a follow-up double from Cam Suto brought Berry around to score. Suto was soon rewarded for his hit when Kadon Morton came up to the plate and hit a single, bringing Suto home. That started this game with Joliet in the lead first at a 2-0 score.
Unlike yesterday, however, the Crushers would have an early response to the Slammers. Samuel Benjamin would be a one-man show in the bottom of the 2nd inning when he hit a solo home run out to left field. While that did not tie up the game, that did get Lake Erie halfway there as the score was now at 2-1.
The Slammers liked the 2-run lead they had before, so they took it right back in the top of the 3rd. Ian Battipaglia got walked to start the half-inning, and he took advantage of that when he stole second base. That decision proved crucial for him to score once Tyler Cerny got himself a single. Joliet had a multi-run lead once again, with the score now at 3-1.
The top of the 4th inning was where the Slammers began to pull away in this one. Patrick Ward would lead off the inning with a solo homer, setting the stage for a big inning for his team. Morton didn’t even have to swing to score as a walk turned into a rush for home plate off a wild pitch. Singles from Brandon Heidal and Cerny set up a 2-RBI double for Jackson Valera, which ended this half-inning with a 7-1 advantage for Joliet.
Even being down six runs, the Crushers fought their way back into contention in the bottom of the 4th. A walk on Pavin Parks and a single for Alfredo Gonzalez brought up Garret Pike with a chance to put some runs on the board, and did he ever. Pike hit one long for a 3-run homer, now putting the score at 7-4, giving Lake Erie some hope.
The Slammers again matched the home run total from the Crushers, as Jackson Beaman’s first hit of the night was a solo home run in the top of the 5th inning. Joliet found themselves at double the score of the Crushers, this time at 8-4.
The Slammers had already seen that a six-run advantage might not be enough, so they didn’t want to risk it with a four-run lead either. A double from Battipaglia in the top of the 6th turned into his second score of the game when Valera got his second double of the night. That moved the score to 9-4.
The Crushers had already hit it deep twice tonight, so why not three times? Benjamin got on base with a single in the bottom of the 6th, which Luis Acevedo turned into a 2-run home run right after. While the score still showed Joliet in the lead at 9-6, Lake Erie was aiming for the comeback.
The Crushers would get a little closer to that goal in the bottom of the 7th inning. Joe Redfield would be walked to start this half-inning, and a double from Gonzalez would bring Redfield all the way home from first base. In the first scoring play for Lake Erie that wasn’t from a home run, the score now read 9-7.
Now just down two runs, the Crushers went back to the old reliable homer in the bottom of the 8th. Acevedo hit his second straight home run, and while it was only a solo shot, Lake Erie was finally back in striking distance at 9-8.
This scared the Slammers a bit, so they had a little bit of action in the top of the 9th in hopes of closing this game out. Suto got his second double of the night, and Beaman got the last hit of Slammers batting this game to score Suto off a single. That brought the total score to 10-8, and after an unsuccessful bottom of the 9th for the home team, that would also end up being the final score.
The Slammers have now hit 20 wins on the season, and will be looking for 21 when they play the last series game against the Crushers on Thursday. Lake Erie will look to avoid the series sweep at home when they play game three against Joliet on Thursday.
