Tyler Johnson's double scored 3 runs and Todd Balduf added a pair of RBI's as the Cruhsers scored seven runs in the fifth to take a 8-3 lead. Lake Erie send 11 men to the plate in the inning.

Through three innings, Crushers starter Cardoza Tucker has allowed three run on five hits as River City jumped out to an early 3-1. Two of the Rascals hits have left the ball park. Chad Maddox and Ernie Banks both have solo home runs as River City takes advantage of the friendly confines of TH Hughes Ballpark. Arden McWilliams drove in the Crushers only run with a second-inning RBI single

TH Hughes Ballpark is one of the most hitter-friendly parks in the Frontier League. It is 320 feet down the left field line but just 382 to straight away center field. The 28-foot high wall in right field is just 299 feet away. The power alley's are 354to left and 325 to right. The stadium, which was built in 1999, has an old school feel to it. The right field wall is reminiscent of Cleveland's old League Park that had a 290-foot 45-foot high right field fence

Crushers fans are out in full force here in River City tonight. Not only did a bus full of Lake Erie supporters arrive at TR Hughers Ballpark about an hour before tonight's first pitch. A numbers of fans also drove or flew from Northeast Ohio to support the Crushers in their bid for their first Frontier League title

All seemed well for the Lake Erie Crushers on Sunday in game four of their divisional series with Kalamazoo. They started the day needing a win to advance to the Frontier League Championship series and had a 5-0 lead after one inning. But the Kings refused to say die and rallied with seven unanswered runs to beat the Crushers by the final of 7-5 to force a deciding game five on Monday night at Homer Stryker Field in Kalamazoo.

After Kalamazoo starter John Brownell allowed five runs (three earned) on four hits in the first, he clamped down the Crushers offense for the remainder of the afternoon. Brownell went the distance for a complete game victory, allowing six hits while striking out six and walking three. “An amazing performance by Brownell,” said Crusher skipper John Massarelli afterwards. “As impressive as I’ve ever seen.”

The Crushers went after Brownell quickly in the first as Andrew Davis doubled home Jodam Rivera for a 1-0 lead. Tyler Johnson added a two-run single and the Crushers picked up two more thanks to an error on Kings second baseman Joe Ramos. Down 5-0, the Kings started their comeback in the third inning on an RBI single by Brandon Anderson off of Cardoza Tucker. Anderson struck again in the fifth inning as he lined a Tucker pitch over the wall in right-center field for his first home run of the postseason. Tucker worked five plus innings for the Crushers, allowing four runs (three earned) on four hits with five strikeouts and four walks to earn a no-decision.

The Kings would tie the game in the sixth inning as Amos Ramon hit an RBI single followed by a Brendan Murphy run-scoring grounder. With two outs in the inning, Kyle Higgins hit a fly ball to center that was dropped by Tyler Johnson, allowing Ramon to score the game-tying run. Kalamazoo would take their first lead of the game in the eighth inning as Matt Maloney led off the inning with a single, was sacrificed to second by Ramon, and then scored on Jett Ruiz’s RBI double. In the ninth, the Kings would pick up an insurance run on a sacrifice fly by Maloney that scored Ramos.

The Crushers and Kings will play one game to decide the Divisional Series on Monday evening at 7:05 in Kalamazoo. “They (Kalamazoo) know how to win, and so do my guys,” said Massarelli. “That’s why it’s a heckuva series and should be a tremendous game five.”

Jett Ruiz doubled down the left field line to score Matt Maloney to give the Kings a 6-5 lead in the eighth inning.

J.J. Pacella entering his second inning of work on the mound for Lake Erie, John Brownell all the way for Kalamazoo

Kalamazoo scored three runs in the top of the sixth inning to tie the game at 5-5. The Kings benefited from a pair of Lake Erie errors. Amos Ramon and Brenden Murphy each had RBI in the inning for Kalamazoo.

Brownell has gone all the way for the Kings, while Ronnie Morales is the third Lake Erie pitcher of the day.