The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Lake Erie takes down visiting Schaumburg
The Boomers have been the bane of the Crushers at Sprenger Stadium, but Lake Erie avoided the sweep by taking down Schaumburg in the series finale.
Lake Erie used a pair of sacrifice RBI from Sean Hurley to snap a two-game losing streak as it held on to defeat the Schaumburg Boomers, 3-1, in front of 2,952 fans at Sprenger Stadium on June 21.
THE SCORE
LAKE ERIE 3, SCHAUMBURG 1
The win prevents a three-game series sweep and ends a tedious stretch of six straight losses to Schaumburg.
“If I had to say, it was the first-pitch strikes,” Lake Erie manager Cam Roth said of the difference in the prior two games. “We got ahead of those hitters. He (Crushers starter Donny Murray) was throwing mainly fastballs. Didn’t really have a good feel for his off-speed, but it’s pitching and defense. It’s easy to come back and fight when you’re not going out there and giving up seven runs in the first inning like yesterday.”
Playing in front of one of their largest crowds this season thanks in large part to Mercy Health Night, the Crushers (21-15) wasted little time as they loaded the bases in the bottom of the first inning. Hurley kicked off his big night with a sacrifice RBI that scored Kevin LaChance, giving Lake Erie a 1-0 lead.
The Boomers (18-17) answered right back in the top of the second as James Keller came away with a sacrifice RBI of his own, evening the score at 1-1.
The Boomers had their chances in the early going, leaving runners stranded at second and third in the first inning, followed by runners stranded on first and third in the top of the third. Schaumburg left a total of 11 runners on base on the evening.
In his longest outing of the season, Murray (3-4) dodged a few dangerous innings, but ultimately delivered a solid start for Lake Erie.
In his 123 pitch start, a Crushers season record, he went seven and two thirds, allowing six hits, five walks while striking out three.
“I try and just stay within my body and try not to have my arm do too much,” Murray said. “Sometimes you’ll see me start walking guys and I’ll try not to overthrow my arm and do too much. I try to just stay within my body and just trust in my stuff and let the defense do the work.”
Hurley notched his second sacrifice RBI in the bottom of the fourth inning after Cody Lenahan doubled, followed by a wild pitch. That set up the sac fly to right field, giving the Crushers the 2-1 lead.
“It was huge,” Hurley said. “I think it was crucial that we didn’t give up any big runs, and make any errors. We just want to keep doing our thing and keep it low scoring, and we’ll be good to go.”
After Murray allowed a pair of baserunners in the top of the eighth, Roth went to Luis Cohen, who then promptly got the one out he needed, helping Lake Erie out of the jam.
Cody Lenahan added an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth, knocking in an RBI single that scored Doug Trimble, upping the lead to 3-1.
A pair of singles made things interesting in the top of the ninth, but Cohen was able to hang on as he picked up his first save of the season.
Lake Erie will head west to begin a threegame series with the Windy City ThunderBolts on June 22.
First pitch slated for 7:05 p.m.