By: Braeden Jones
AVON, OH – In a game with only five total runs, the Lake Erie Crushers (21-27) found just enough success to avoid the series sweep against the Joliet Slammers (20-26) on Thursday, winning 3-2.
The Slammers kept their routine of scoring first going by making it happen early in this game. In the top of the 1st inning, Blake Berry got the first hit of the day on a double to immediately put him in scoring position. Jackson Valera got the hint and hit a double of his own to score Berry, putting Joliet in the early 1-0 lead.
The Crushers kept up a routine of their own in the bottom of the 4th: Getting a home run. For the third game straight, Garret Pike took one deep to nab himself a solo homer. That tied up this game at 1-1 after four innings.
When you have crush in the name, one home run won’t be enough for you. Lake Erie’s Pavin Parks hit a solo shot of his own which gave his team the first lead of this entire series against the Slammers. The Crushers now gained a 2-1 advantage over the Slammers in the bottom of the 5th inning.
That was where the score sat for a while before the Crushers advanced their lead in the bottom of the 8th inning. Samuel Benjamin got a single for his first hit of the day, and a single from Pike advanced Benjamin to second base. Jarrod Watkins came up to the plate, and for the first (and only) time today, scored a runner on a play that wasn’t a home run with a single of his own. Lake Erie now had a 3-1 lead going into the Slammers’ last chance to make something happen.
The top of the 9th started pretty well for Joliet. Two consecutive walks on Valera and Cam Suto put the tying run on first base with no outs. Patrick Ward came in to pinch run for Valera, and that proved crucial for him to score once Peyton Carr hit a sacrifice ground out. Jackson Beaman had flied out before that play, so now Suto stood at second base while his team faced two outs. Kadon Morton represented the last chance for the Slammers to have their tying runner come home, but unfortunately for him, he was struck out to end this game. A low scoring affair went the way of the home team as the Crushers won 3-2.
Still leaving ForeFront Field with a series win, the Slammers will prepare for a long home stretch, starting with the Evansville Otters on Friday for their 4th of July weekend series. After holding on for a win for their home crowd, they will look to keep winning when they start their series against the Windy City ThunderBolts at home, starting on Friday.
