Tuesday, June 30, 2009

June 29 box score

Traverse City 6, Lake Erie 4
Traverse City 004 101 000 - 6 10 2
Lake Erie 013 000 000 - 4 8 0
Traverse City (18-18)
Player ab r h rbi
Whiting lf 5 1 1 0
Barbato 2b 1 0 1 1
Epping cf 5 1 0 0
Alonso 1b 4 1 2 2
Victor dh 3 0 1 0
Billak dh 1 0 0 0
Lapin rf 4 0 2 0
Maunus 3b 4 0 0 0
Alcombrack c 4 3 3 2
Stafford ss 4 0 0 0
Totals 35 6 10 5
Lake Erie (20-16)
Player ab r h rbi
Rivera ss 4 0 0 0
Saylor 2b 4 1 1 0
Davis 3b 5 1 1 2
Hthrngton rf 5 0 0 0
Grnkwski dh 5 1 1 1
Binkoski lf 3 1 2 0
Tisdale 1b 4 0 2 0
Bond cf 3 0 1 1
Maragas c 3 0 0 0
Totals 36 4 8 4
E - Barbato 2. DP - Lake Erie 2. LOB - Beach Bums 8; Lake Erie 12. 2B - Bond. HR - Alonso; Alcombrack 2; Davis; Gronkowski. SH - Rivera. SB - Epping; Alcombrack; Gibson.
Traverse City
ip h r er bb so
Bostelman 3.0 5 4 4 4 0
Joy W, (3-0) 4.0 3 0 0 1 1
Hurst 1.0 0 0 0 0 1
Williams S,9 1.0 0 0 0 1 2
Lake Erie
ip h r er bb so
Faiola L,( 1-5) 3.0 6 5 5 2 1
Chambers 2.0 2 0 0 1 1
Rolon 2.0 1 1 1 2 0
Pacella 2.0 1 0 0 1 3
PB - Alcombrack. T: 3:00 A: 2,372. Faiola faced 1 batter in the 4th. Bostelman faced 2 batters in the 4th.

All-Star stuff

Think Luke Hetherington is a shoe-in for the All-Star Game.
Want to see Paul Fagan get his just due for leading the Frontier League in wins?
Stay tuned.
While the FL doesn't rely on fan votes to select players for the midsummer classic, it does have a process where eight representatives from each team pick the all-stars.
That selection happens this weekend and the results will be posted soon thereafter with the game taking place on July 15.
The Morning Journal will post the all-stars as soon as it knows who will be playing.

Sunday, June 28, 2009

Diamond delights

Yes, Virginia, there is still a ton of baseball left.
But this is a big part of the season for the Crushers, who seem to have the swagger of a great team.
Lake Erie hinted last week that it was on the fringe of being very, very good.
Then the squad went out and put up games of 13 and 19 runs against the best team in the Frontier League -- the Kalamazoo Kings.
The Crushers followed with 15 runs against Florence, which sits behind Lake Erie in the East Division.
The squad followed that with a come-from-behind victory against Traverse City and then beat the Beach Bums late on Sunday in a 4-1 game.
To put it bluntly, if these Crushers were a boxer they could be Mike Tyson or Muhammad Ali in their prime.
They've got the offense to deliver the haymaker at any time, pounding out hit after hit. The squad also has the patience to suddenly win the close games -- something it struggled with early on.
Manager John Massarelli has molded his bullpen and tinkered with a starting rotation that has settled in. The addition of Eddie Tisdale at first has given the Crushers an offense that has interchangeable parts and the team is playing with a ton of confidence.
Lake Erie faces the best pitcher statistically in the FL on Monday in Traverse City's Brett Bostelman, so that should be a good litmus test.
That shouldn't phase the Crushers. They just beat up David Nathanson, who had the best numbers in the league in 2008.
A good push before the All-Star break could have everyone talking about the upstart Crushers, who seem to keep winning behind one of the best coaches in the game in Massarelli.

June 28 box score

Lake Erie 4, Traverse City 1
Traverse City 001 000 000 -- 1 5 2
Lake Erie 100 003 00x -- 4 8 0
Traverse City 1 (17-18)
ab r h rbi
Epping cf 5 1 1 0
Barbato 2b 3 0 2 1
Alonso 1b 1 0 0 0
Perry c 2 0 0 0
Lapin rf 4 0 0 0
Victor dh 3 0 0 0
Maunus 3b 4 0 0 0
Billak lf 2 0 0 0
Alcombrack c/1b 4 0 0 0
Stafford ss 4 0 2 0
Totals 32 1 5 1
Lake Erie (20-15)
ab r h rbi
Rivera ss 5 1 1 0
Saylor 2b 4 0 1 0
Davis 3b 4 1 2 0
Hetherington dh 3 1 0 0
Gronkowski 1b 4 0 0 1
Binkoski lf 3 1 3 1
McWilliams rf 1 0 0 0
Bond cf 4 0 1 1
Griffiths c 2 0 0 0
Maragas c 1 0 0 0
Totals 31 4 8 3
E - Stafford 2. LOB - Beach Bums 9; Lake Erie 9. 2B - Epping; Barbato; Stafford; Saylor;
Binkoski; Bond. 3B - Davis. HBP - Billak; Hetherington. SH - McWilliams 2. SB - Davis.
Traverse City
ip h r er bb so
Nathanson L,(1-5) 6.0 5 4 3 2 4
Hagen 1.0 2 0 0 0 1
Kruszka 1.0 1 0 0 1 1
Lake Erie Crushers
ip h r er bb so
Fagan W, (6-1) 6.0 2 1 1 2 9
Mata 1.2 2 0 0 1 1
Gonell S,6 1.1 1 0 0 1 1
HBP - by Fagan (Billak); by Nathanson (Hetherington). PB - Perry.
T: 2:35 A: 3,169.

June 27 box score

Lake Erie 5, Traverse City 4
Traverse City 000 220 000 -- 4 8 2
Lake Erie 000 103 10x -- 5 6 1
Traverse City (17-17)
ab r h rbi
Epping cf 5 1 1 0
Barbato 2b 3 0 2 0
Alonso 1b 5 1 2 3
Lapin rf 4 0 0 0
Victor dh 2 1 0 0
Perry c 3 0 0 0
Maunus 3b 4 0 2 1
Billak lf 3 0 0 0
Stafford ss 4 1 1 0
Totals 33 4 8 4
Lake Erie (19-15)
ab r h rbi
Rivera ss 4 1 1 0
Saylor 2b 4 1 1 0
Davis 3b 4 0 0 1
Hetherngton cf 4 1 1 1
Gronkwski dh 3 1 2 1
Binkoski lf 3 0 1 0
McWlliams 1b 2 1 0 0
Bond rf 2 0 0 0
Griffiths c 2 0 0 1
Totals 28 5 6 4

E - Epping; Reese; Davis. DP - Lake Erie 1. LOB - Beach Bums 8; Lake Erie 2. 2B - Barbato;
Saylor. 3B - Maunus. HR - Alonso; Hetherington; Gronkowski. HBP - Billak. SH - Barbato; Perry;
Bond. SF - Griffiths.
Traverse City
ip h r er bb so
Reese L,(4-2) 6.1 5 5 4 1 3
Hurst 1.2 1 0 0 0 0
Lake Erie
ip h r er bb so
Lysander 6.0 7 4 4 1 3
Sprouse W,(1-1) 2.0 1 0 0 1 3
Gonell S,5 1.0 0 0 0 1 1
WP - Reese. HBP - by Lysander (Billak). T: 2:20 A: 2947

Saturday, June 27, 2009

June 26 Game 2 box score

Note: Doubleheaders are only seven-inning games

Lake Erie 15, Florence 5

Lake Erie 640 050 0 -- 15 13 1

Florence 200 200 1 -- 5 5 2

Lake Erie (18-15)

AB R H RBI

Rivera SS 3 2 1 0

Gibson SS 0 0 0 0

Saylor 2B 5 2 2 2

Davis 3B 4 3 3 3

Hetherngtn CF 5 2 2 2

Gronkowski DH 4 2 2 4

Binkoski LF 4 0 1 2

McWilliams 1B 3 1 0 0

Bond RF 4 2 2 2

Maragas C 2 1 0 0

TOTALS 34 15 13 15

Florence (18-15)

AB R H RBI

Johnson LF 4 0 0 0

Andrus RF 3 1 2 1

Basham DH 2 1 1 0

Stiffler 1B 1 0 0 0

Welch SS 4 1 1 2

Mottram 2B 3 0 0 0

Grogan 3B 2 0 0 0

Magrass 3B 1 0 0 0

Pickett 1B 1 1 0 0

Baker P/1B 1 0 0 0

Pickerell C 3 0 0 0

Hough CF 1 1 1 2

Underhill CF 1 0 0 0

TOTALS 27 5 5 5

E--A.Davis, J.Welch, W.Mottram. DP--LAKE ERIE 0, FLORENCE 0. LOB-- LAKE ERIE 4, FLORENCE 5. 2B--A.Davis (11), G.Gronkowski (5), R.Basham (11). HR--A.Davis (6), G.Gronkowski (5), W.Bond (3), E.Andrus (1), J.Welch (5), B.Hough (6). SB--E.Andrus (5).

Lake Erie

IP H R ER BB SO

Davidson 4.0 4 4 4 2 7

Pacella W, (1-0) 2.0 0 0 0 2 4

Chambers 1.0 1 1 1 0 0

Florence

IP H R ER BB SO

Clark L,( 2-3) 1.1 8 10 8 2 2

Shaffer 2.2 2 0 0 1 4

Short 0.1 1 3 3 2 1

De La Rosa 1.2 2 2 2 0 2

Baker 1.0 0 0 0 1 0

T: 2:31, A: 4,185.

June 26 Game 1 box score

Note: Doubleheaders are only seven-inning games
Florence 3, Lake Erie 2
Lake Erie 000 002 0 -- 2 3 2
Florence 021 000 x -- 3 5 2
Lake Erie (17-15)
AB R H RBI
Rivera SS 3 1 1 0
Saylor 2B 3 1 1 2
Davis 3B 2 0 0 0
Hetherngtn CF 3 0 0 0
Gronkowski DH 3 0 0 0
Binkoski LF 3 0 0 0
McWilliams 1B 3 0 0 0
Bond RF 2 0 0 0
Griffiths C 2 0 1 0
TOTALS 24 2 3 2
Florence (18-14)
AB R H RBI
Stiffler LF 3 0 0 0
Andrus RF 3 1 1 0
Basham DH 3 0 1 1
Welch SS 2 1 1 0
Mottram 2B 3 0 0 0
Grogan 3B 3 1 1 2
Pickett C 1 0 0 0
Magrass 1B 2 0 0 0
Hough CF 2 0 1 0
TOTALS 22 3 5 3
E--B.Griffiths, A.Rolon, J.Welch, T.Grogan. DP--LAKE ERIE 0, FLORENCE 1. LOB--LAKE ERIE 2, FLORENCE 3. 2B--B.Griffiths (1), E.Andrus (5), B.Hough (8). HR--A.Saylor (6), T.Grogan (2). SB--E.Andrus (4), J.Welch (4), B.Hough (9). CS--T.Binkoski. HBP--J.Pickett.
Lake Erie
IP H R ER BB SO
Skogley L, (1-1) 5.0 4 3 2 1 1
Rolon 1.0 1 0 0 0 1
Florence
IP H R ER BB SO
Saul W,(4-1) 5.1 3 2 2 0 2
Banks 0.2 0 0 0 1 0
Miller (S,6) 1.0 0 0 0 0 0
HB--K.Skogley. T: 1:40, A: 4,185.

June 24 box score

Lake Erie 9, Florence 11
Lake Erie 010 323 000 -- 9 7 1
Florence 040 520 00x -- 11 14 1
Lake Erie (17-14)
AB R H RBI
Rivera SS 5 0 0 0
Saylor 2B 4 2 1 0
Davis 3B 5 3 4 4

Hethrngtn DH 2 2 1 1
Binkoski LF 4 0 0 0
McWllims RF 3 1 0 1
Grkowski PH 1 0 0 0
Tisdale 1B 4 0 1 0
Bond CF 4 0 0 1
Maragas C 2 1 0 0
TOTALS 34 9 7 7

Florence (17-14)
AB R H RBI
Stiffler LF 5 1 3 2
Andrus RF 4 1 1 2

Basham DH 4 1 2 2
Mottram 2B 5 1 1 2
Grogan 3B 4 1 1 0
Welch SS 4 0 2 0
Pickett C 4 1 1 0
Baker 1B 3 2 1 2
Hough CF 3 3 2 0
TOTALS 36 11 14 10

E--J.Faiola, J.Pickett. DP--LAKE ERIE 1, FLORENCE 1. LOB--LAKE ERIE 6, FLORENCE 8. 2B--A.Davis (10), M.Stiffler (1), E.Andrus (4), J.Baker (2). 3B--M.Stiffler (1), J.Welch (1). HR--A.Davis 2 (5), L.Hetherngtn (4), W.Mottram (14). SB--A.McWilliams (5), J.Welch 2 (3), B.Hough 2 (8). CS--T.Grogan. HBP--L.Hetherngtn, T.Binkoski, B.Hough. SF--E.Andrus.

Lake Erie
IP H R ER BB SO
Faiola L, (1-4) 3.0 7 7 7 1 1
DeLeon 1.2 6 4 4 0 2
Mata 1.1 0 0 0 2 2
Sprouse 2.0 1 0 0 2 2
Florence
IP H R ER BB SO
Melendez W, (4-3) 5.0 5 6 4 3 2
Shaffer 1.0 1 3 3 2 1
Banks 2.0 0 0 0 1 1
Miller (S,5) 1.0 1 0 0 0 1
WP--D.DeLeon, N.Shaffer. HB--J.Faiola, M.Melendez, N.Shaffer. PB-- J.Pickett. T: 3:18, A: 2,885.

Friday, June 26, 2009

June 23 box score

Lake Erie 19, Kalamazoo 5
Lake Erie 100 140 607 -- 19 14 1
Kalamazoo 010 001 201 -- 5 13 3
Lake Erie (17-13)
AB R H RBI
Rivera SS 2 3 0 0
Saylor 2B 4 2 1 2
Davis 3B 5 4 3 4
Hthrngtn DH 4 0 1 1
Gibson PH 0 1 0 0
Binkoski LF 6 0 2 2
McWllms RF 5 2 2 2
Tisdale 1B 3 3 1 1
Bond CF 5 2 2 2
Griffiths C 5 2 2 2
TOTALS 39 19 14 16

Kalamazoo (20-10)
AB R H RBI
Anderson RF 5 1 2 0

Ramos 2B 4 1 3 0
Mknnen PH 1 0 0 0

Brown 1B 3 0 2 3
Murphy DH 5 0 0 0
Williams LF 3 1 2 0
Moley LF 1 0 0 0

Ruiz C 3 1 0 0
Graves C 1 0 0 0
Ramon 3B 3 0 2 2
Higgins SS 4 0 1 0
Grose CF 4 1 1 0
TOTALS 37 5 13 5

E--J.Rivera, K.Higgins 3. DP--LAKE ERIE 3, KALAMAZOO 1. LOB--LAKE ERIE 7, KALAMAZOO 8. 2B--A.Davis (9), A.McWilliams (5), S.Williams (9), A.Ramon (6). 3B--W.Bond (2). HR--A.Saylor (5), A.Davis (3). CS-- L.Hetherngtn. HBP--J.Rivera, E.Tisdale, T.Brown 2. SF--A.Saylor, L.Hetherngtn.
Lake Erie
IP H R ER BB SO
Fagan W, (5-1) 6.0 7 2 2 0 1
Chambers 1.0 3 2 2 0 0
Pacella 1.0 0 0 0 1 2
Gonell 1.0 3 1 1 0 1

Kalamazoo
IP H R ER BB SO
DiPietro L, (2-2) 6.0 7 6 4 1 8
Babb 0.0 0 3 3 2 0

Shivers 1.0 4 3 3 2 0
Baerlocher 1.0 0 0 0 0 2
Arnold 0.0 0 5 4 4 0
Stancil 1.0 3 2 1 1 1
WP--R.Babb 2. HB--R.Fagan 2, J.DiPietro, R.Babb. Time: 3:10, A: 942

June 22 box score

Lake Erie 13, Kalamazoo 1

Lake Erie 022 030 231 -- 13 15 0
Kalamazoo 000 010 000 -- 1 7 4
Lake Erie (16-13)
AB R H RBI
Rivera SS 4 0 1 0
Gibson PH/SS 1 0 1 0
Saylor 2B 6 1 1 0
Davis 3B 6 2 1 1
Hetherngtn DH 4 3 2 1
Binkoski LF 4 3 2 0
McWilliams RF 3 2 2 4
Tisdale 1B 5 1 1 2
Bond CF 4 0 2 2
Griffiths C 5 1 2 1
TOTALS 42 13 15 11
Kalamazoo (20-9)
AB R H RBI
Anderson RF 3 0 0 0 .
Ramos 2B 4 0 0 0
Brown PIT/1B 3 0 0 0
Murphy DH 4 0 2 0
Graves 1B 0 0 0 0
Makonnen 3B 1 0 0 0
Stancil 3B 2 0 0 0
Williams LF 4 0 1 0
Ruiz C 3 0 2 0
Higgins SS 4 0 0 0
Grose CF 4 1 2 1
TOTALS 32 1 7 1

E--D.Makonnen 2, H.Stancil, J.Ruiz. DP--LAKE ERIE 2, KALAMAZOO 1. LOB--LAKE ERIE 9, KALAMAZOO 8. 2B--A.Davis (8), A.McWilliams (4), W.Bond (5), B.Murphy (3), J.Ruiz 2 (5). HR--J.Grose (1). SB--J.Grose (5). HBP--T.Binkoski, A.McWilliams 2, T.Brown, J.Ruiz.
Lake Erie
IP H R ER BB SO
B. Lysander W, (3-0) 7.0 6 1 1 2 6
Rolon 2.0 1.0 0 0 0 3 0
Kalamazoo
IP H R ER BB SO
Parillo (L,2-3) 4.2 7 7 3 3 2
Rue 2.1 3 2 1 0 2
Arnold 1.0 2 3 3 1 2
Brown 1.0 3 1 1 0 1
HB--B.Lysander, A.Rolon, B.Parillo 2, A.Arnold. PB--J.Ruiz.
T: 2:54, A: 925.

June 21 box score

Kalamazoo 8, Lake Erie 7

Lake Erie 110 022 000 -- 6 8 0
Kalamazoo 300 202 00x -- 7 12 3



Lake Erie (15-13)

AB R H RBI
Rivera SS 4 1 0 0
Saylor 2B 5 0 1 2
Davis 3B 4 1 1 0
Hetherngtn DH 4 0 1 1
Binkoski LF 5 0 0 0
McWilliams RF 4 1 1 0
Bond CF 4 1 0 1
Tisdale 1B 2 2 2 0
Griffiths C 4 0 2 1
TOTALS 36 6 8 5
Kalamazoo (20-8)
AB R H RBI
Anderson RF 5 1 3 1
Ramos 2B 5 0 1 1
Brown 1B 2 1 1 0
Murphy DH 4 1 1 3
Makonnen 3B 5 1 2 0
Ruiz C 4 1 1 0
Williams LF 4 1 2 2
Higgins SS 3 0 0 0
Grose CF 3 1 1 0
TOTALS 35 7 12 7

E--D.Makonnen, S.Williams, B.Robert. DP--LAKE ERIE 1, KALAMAZOO 0. LOB--LAKE ERIE 8, KALAMAZOO 10. 2B--A.Saylor (7), A.Davis (7), A.McWilliams (3), D.Makonnen (3), J.Ruiz (3), S.Williams 2 (8). 3B--B.Anderson (2). HR--B.Murphy (6). SB--K.Higgins (5). CS--L.Hetherngtn. HBP--A.Davis, E.Tisdale, T.Brown.
Lake Erie
IP H R ER BB SO
K. Skogley 5.0 7 5 5 3 1
C. Mata L, (2-4) 0.2 3 2 2 0 2
DeLeon 0.0 0 0 0 0 0
Pacella 1.1 0 0 0 2 2
Sprouse 1.0 2 0 0 0 1
Kalamazoo
IP H R ER BB SO
Robert 5.2 7 6 5 1 8
Baerlocher W, (5-0) 2.1 1 0 0 1 1
Mejia (S,6) 1.0 0 0 0 1 1
HB--D.DeLeon, B.Robert, D.Baerlocher. T: 3:10, A:1,235.

Saturday, June 20, 2009

June 20 box score

Lake Erie 4, Midwest 3
Midwest 002 010 000 - 3 8 2
Lake Erie 020 020 0x - 4 10 0
Midwest (11-16)
Player ab r h rbi
Pace cf 1 0 0 0
Mena ss 4 1 2 1
Baker 1b 4 0 2 2
Zayas 3b 4 0 0 0
Jones rf 4 0 1 0
Barrone c 4 0 0 0
Bonner 2b 4 0 2 0
Knoble lf 4 0 0 0
Flora dh 2 2 1 0
Rosas dh 1 0 0 0
Totals 32 3 8 3
Lake Erie (15-12)
Player ab r h rbi
Rivera ss 4 0 1 0
Saylor 2b 4 0 1 0
Davis 3b 4 0 1 0
Hthrngtn cf 4 2 2 0
Grkwski dh 31 1 2
Binkoski lf 4 1 1 0
McWims rf 4 0 1 0
Tisdale 1b 4 0 1 1
Griffiths c 3 0 1 1
Totals 34 4 10 4
E - Barrone; Penn. DP - Lake Erie 1. LOB - Sliders 6; Lake Erie 7. 2B - Mena. HR - Gronkowski. SH - Pace. SB - Tisdale. CS - Jones.
Midwest
ip h r er bb so
Penn L (3-3) 7.0 10 4 3 1 7
Gillilard 1.0 0 0 0 0 1
Lake Erie
ip h r er bb so
Davidson 4.0 3 2 2 2 5
Chambers W, (1-0) 3.0 3 1 1 1 1
Gonell S,4 2.0 2 0 0 0 2
T: 2:25 A: 2,895.

Bat-tle tested

In a time of rest, Tim Binkoski said it best.
The Lake Erie left fielder got a rare day off on Thursday, but saw a team ready to go.
Whenever soft-throwing pitchers stepped to the mound, the Crushers struggled. But a pep talk by right fielder Luke Hetherington, and some patience at the plate, has turned the team around.
Hovering near the bottom of the Frontier League before the Traverse City series -- Lake Erie was 11th out of 12 teams in batting average -- the Crushers were pressing.
A new attitude at the plate and some aggresiveness have proven to be lifesavers for the team.
These Crushers are attacking at the plate early in the count and it certainly came to a head Friday night in a 17-7 victory.
Coming in with 25 hits in the last two games, Lake Erie set a high in hits (21) and runs, while having fun in the process.
It's rare to see one batter miss the cycle in a game. When three do it, you can tell the team is on at the plate, and the Crushers are definitely on.

June 19 box score

Lake Erie 17, Midwest 7
Midwest 022 020 010 -- 7 11 0
Lake Erie 023 123 06x -- 17 21 0
Midwest (11-15)
Player ab r h rbi
Pace cf 4 0 1 0
Bonner ss 4 1 0 0
Knapp 2b 5 1 1 0
Zayas 3b 5 2 2 1
Jones rf 4 1 2 1
Barrone dh 4 0 1 2
Knoble lf 4 1 1 1
Rosas 1b 4 1 1 0
Flora c 4 0 2 2
Totals 38 7 11 7
Lake Erie (14-12)
Player ab r h rbi
Rivera ss 4 2 2 1
Saylor dh 5 3 3 2
Davis 3b 2 0 1 1
Cheshire 2b 3 0 0 0
Hthringtn rf 5 4 4 3
Grnkwski 1b 4 2 4 4
Tisdale pr/1b 2 1 2 1
Binkoski lf 4 1 2 1
Bond cf 4 1 1 1
Griffiths c 4 2 2 1
Gibsn 2b/3b 4 1 0 0
Totals 41 17 21 15
DP - Sliders 1. LOB - Sliders 6; Lake Erie 10. 2B - Pace; Barrone; Knoble; Rosas; Flora; Saylor; Tisdale. 3B - Saylor; Hetherington; Gronkowski. HR - Hetherington; Gronkowski. HBP - Pace. SF - Binkoski. SB - Jones; Gronkowski. CS - Rivera
Midwest
ip h r er bb so
Kearcher 3.2 9 6 6 2 0
Haldis L,(1-2) 1.1 2 2 2 1 1
Oakes 1.0 5 3 3 1 2
Pannell 1.1 4 6 6 5 2
Mena 0.2 1 0 0 0 0
Lake Erie
ip h r er bb so
Faiola W,(1-3) 5.0 9 6 6 1 1
DeLeon 1.0 0 0 0 0 1
Rolon S,1 3.0 2 1 1 0 3
WP - Oakes; Pannell 3; Faiola. HBP - by DeLeon (Pace). PB - Flora 2. T: 3:20 A: 2,203.

Thursday, June 18, 2009

June 18 box score

Lake Erie 10, Midwest 1
Midwest 000 001 000 -- 1 6 3
Lake Erie 200 600 02x -- 10 13 0
Midwest Sliders 1 (11-14)
Player ab r h rbi
Pace cf 4 0 0 0
Mena ss 3 0 1 0
Knapp 1b/ss 4 1 2 0
Rosas 1b 1 0 0 0
Zayas 3b 4 0 1 0
Jones rf 4 0 1 1
Barrone dh/p 4 0 0 0
Bonner 2b/ss 3 0 1 0
Flora c 2 0 0 0
Knoble lf 3 0 0 0
Totals 32 1 6 1

Lake Erie (13-12)
Player ab r h rbi
Rivera dh 3 2 1 0
Gibson ph 1 0 0 0
Saylor 2b 5 2 2 0
Davis 3b 4 1 4 3
Hetherngtn rf 3 1 2 1
Grnkwski 1b 2 1 0 0
Tisdale 1b 1 0 0 0
McWlliams lf 4 1 1 3
Bond cf 5 0 1 1
Griffiths c 4 0 0 0
Cheshire ss 4 2 2 0
Totals 36 10 13 8

E - Mena; Zayas; Jones. DP - Sliders 1. LOB - Sliders 5; Lake Erie 9. 2B - Knapp; Davis. SB - McWilliams. CS - Mena.
Midwest
ip h r er bb so
Nyman L,(0-3) 3.2 7 6 6 4 2
Kafka 1.1 2 2 1 1 0
Zocchi 2.0 0 0 0 1 1
Barrone 1.0 4 2 2 1 0
Lake Erie
ip h r er bb so
Fagan W,(4-1) 6.0 6 1 1 1 1
Sprouse S,1 3.0 0 0 0 0 2
T: 2:35 A: 2,876.

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

June 17 box score

Traverse City 7, Lake Erie 4
Traverse City 100 212 001 -- 7 14 1
Lake Erie 301 000 000 -- 4 12 1
Traverse City (13-11)
Player ab r h rbi
Whiting lf 6 1 2 1
Guerrero 2b 4 1 1 0
Epping cf 4 0 1 2
Alonso dh 5 1 2 2
Perry c 5 0 1 0
Lapin rf 4 0 1 0
Maunus 3b 5 2 2 1
Victor 1b 3 1 2 0
Miller ss 5 1 2 1
Totals 41 7 14 7
Lake Erie (12-12)
Player ab r h rbi
Rivera ss 5 1 1 1
Saylor 2b 5 1 1 0
Davis 3b 4 0 0 0
Hethrngtn rf 4 1 3 1
Grnkwski dh 3 0 1 0
Tisdale pr 0 0 0 0
Binkoski lf 3 1 2 2
McWilams 1b 4 0 2 0
Bond cf 4 0 0 0
Griffiths c 3 0 2 0
Cheshire ph 1 0 0 0
Totals 36 4 12 4
E - Maunus; Lysander. DP - Beach Bums 3. LOB - Beach Bums 12; Lake Erie 7. 2B - Whiting; Epping; Alonso; Miller; Hetherington 2. HR - Alonso; Maunus; Rivera; Binkoski. HBP - Lapin; Victor. SH - Guerrero; Binkoski. SB - Guerrero; Epping; Gronkowski; McWilliams.
Traverse City
ip h r er bb so
Reese W, (3-1) 5.0 10 4 4 0 5
Hagen 1.0 1 0 0 0 0
Hurst 1.1 1 0 0 1 1
Williams S,6 1.2 0 0 0 0 2
Lake Erie
ip h r er bb so
Lysander 5.0 8 4 3 1 4
Mata L,(2-3) 2.1 4 2 2 0 1
Gonell 1.2 2 1 1 1 2
WP - Reese. HBP - by Lysander (Lapin); by Lysander (Victor). T: 2:55 A: 2,291.

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Making their pitch

Don't look now, but the Crushers are starting to find their niche on the mound.
Paul Fagan has been lights out for Lake Erie all season, but this set of starts has really molded the pitching staff.
While Josh Faiola didn't pick up the win in his last start, he looked great against Washington. It's hard to argue Kevin Skogley's start as well.
The lefty went six innings before he gave up a hit and went seven frames of solid ball against Traverse City.
Darwin DeLeon has to mess with his mechanics a little, otherwise he can be dominant as well and Brent Lysander's 2-0 record stands out.
Put it all together and it's easy to see the recipe for winning is there.

June 16 box score

Traverse City 6, Lake Erie 2
Traverse City 000 000 231 -- 6 5 1
Lake Erie 010 000 100 -- 2 9 3
Traverse City (12-11)
Player ab r h rbi
Whiting lf 4 1 0 0
Guerrero 2b 3 1 0 0
Epping cf 2 2 0 0
Alonso 1b 4 0 1 1
Perry c 4 0 1 2
Lapin rf 4 0 1 1
Maunus 3b 4 1 1 0
Victor dh 2 1 1 1
Miller ss 3 0 0 0
Totals 30 6 5 5
Lake Erie (12-11)
Player ab r h rbi
Rivera ss 4 0 1 0
Saylor 2b 4 0 0 0
Davis 3b 4 0 1 0
Grnkski dh 4 1 2 0
Binkoski lf 4 0 2 0
McWlms 1b3 1 2 2
Bond cf 3 0 0 0
Gibson rf 3 0 1 0
Maragas c 3 0 0 0
Totals 32 2 9 2

E - Miller; Rivera; Gibson 2. DP - Beach Bums 3; Lake Erie 1. LOB - Beach Bums 4; Lake Erie 3. 2B - Perry; Victor. HR - McWilliams. SH - Miller. SF - Victor. SB - McWilliams.
Traverse City
ip h r er bb so
Nathanson W,(1-4) 7.0 8 2 2 0 3
Locke 1.0 0 0 0 0 1
Williams 1.0 1 0 0 0 1
Lake Erie
ip h r er bb so
Skogley 7.0 1 2 0 3 3
Sprouse L,(0-1) 0.2 1 3 3 2 0
Chambers 0.1 2 0 0 0 0
Rolan 1.0 1 1 0 0 1
BK - Skogley. T: 2:15 A: 1,904.

Can't get enough of this stuff

Tim Binkoski made no bones about it. When Big Mo shows up, she's a welcome sight.
A 2-1 come-from-behind win on Sunday begat Monday's 8-5 victory over Traverse City.
The Crushers erased a two-run disadvanatage and then snapped a tie late, proving how big momentum is in the game of baseball.
Not only that, they were tremendous with two outs, driving in three runs in the sixth.
With runners in scoring position, Lake Erie was equally as impressive.
The homestand is half over and the team heads into Tuesday's action 7-3 at All Pro Freight Stadium.
Again, it's way too early to start talking pennant races, but early swoons can make the month of August inconsequential.
Don't believe me?
I give you the 2008 Indians.

June 15 box score

Lake Erie 8, Traverse City 5
Traverse City 002 010 200 - 5 9 1
Lake Erie 010 013 21x - 8 12 0
Traverse City (11-11)
Player ab r h rbi
Billak lf 5 0 0 0
Guerero2b 4 1 1 0
Epping cf 3 3 2 0
Alonso 1b 4 1 2 1
Perry dh 4 0 0 0
Lapin rf 5 0 3 4
Maunus 3b 3 0 0 0
Alcmbrk c 3 0 1 0
Miller ss 2 0 0 0
Totals 33 5 9 5
Lake Erie (12-10)
Player ab r h rbi
Rivera ss 5 0 0 1
Saylor 2b 3 1 1 0
Davis 3b 4 1 1 2
Hethrigtn rf 4 0 0 0
Grnkski dh 4 1 3 0
Binkoski lf 4 3 3 0
McWilms 1b3 1 2 3
Bond cf 4 1 2 1
Griffiths c 2 0 0 1
Totals 33 8 12 8
E - Maunus. DP - Beach Bums 1; Lake Erie 1. LOB - Beach Bums 10; Lake Erie 5. 2B - Epping; Alcombrack; Binkoski; McWilliams. 3B - McWilliams; Bond. HR - Davis. SH - Perry; McWilliams. SF -Griffiths. SB - Binkoski; McWilliams. CS - Griffiths.
Traverse City
ip h r er bb so
Kiley 6.0 10 5 5 1 0
Krszka L,(0-1) 1.0 1 2 2 1 1
Locke 1.0 1 1 0 0 0
Lake Erie
ip h r er bb so
DeLeon 4.2 7 3 3 5 4
Davidson 1.2 1 2 2 2 1
Mata W,(2-2) 1.2 1 0 0 1 1
Gonell S,3 1.0 0 0 0 0 1
WP - Kiley. BK - Mata.

Monday, June 15, 2009

One to grow on

It was only a matter of time before something like this happened.
After being "walked off" three times, the Crushers finally got to do it to someone else.
And it very well could put the team in the thick of things.
Just three games back with a ton of baseball to play, Lake Erie beamed with confidence after stopping Washington on a walkoff double by Wayne Bond.
It's something the team can use. Lake Erie has lost just three times at home and have six more at All Pro Freight Stadium before its next road trip.
Sunday night could be huge for the Crushers.

Sunday, June 14, 2009

June 14 box score

Lake Erie 2, Washington 1
Washington 100 000 000 - 1 6 2
Lake Erie 000 000 011 - 2 5 0
Washington (6-14)
Player ab r h rbi
Sidick cf 4 1 1 0
Parker 2b 4 0 1 0
Psomas 1b 3 0 0 1
Dempsey dh 4 0 0 0
Sutton rf 4 0 2 0
Laurent lf 3 0 0 0
Robbins c 3 0 0 0
Spiers 3b 3 0 1 0
Gradstrnd ss 2 0 1 0
Totals 30 1 6 1
Lake Erie (11-10)
Player ab r h rbi
Rivera ss 4 0 1 1
Saylor 2b 4 0 0 0
Davis 3b 4 0 1 0
Hethrngtn dh 4 1 1 0
Binkowski lf 3 0 0 0
McWliams1b
3 0 0 0
Bond cf 4 1 2 1
Gibson rf 2 0 0 0
Griffiths c 2 0 0 0
Grnkski ph 1 0 0 0
Maragas c 0 0 0 0
Totals 31 2 5 2
E - Grandstrand; Groh. DP - Lake Erie 1. LOB - Wild Things 4; Lake Erie 7. 2B - Parker; Bond 2. 3B - Davis. HBP - Binkowski. SH - Grandstrand; Gibson. SF - Psomas. SB - Hetherington.
1 out, 2 runners LOB when the game ended.
Washington
ip h r er bb so
Zach Groh 7.2 3 1 1 0 9
Martin 0.1 0 0 0 0 0
Eachues L,(1-1) 0.1 2 1 1 1 0
Lake Erie
ip h r er bb so
Faiola 6.0 4 1 1 0 4
Rolon 1.0 1 0 0 0 0
Sprouse 1.0 1 0 0 0 1
Gonell W, (1-1) 1.0 0 0 0 0 2
HBP - by Groh (Binkowski).
T: 2:20. A: 2,909.

Almost there

Kevin Skogley said it best when the pitcher voiced his frustration over the fact the Crushers are better than their 10-10 record.
Average? This squad is far better than average.
Considering Lake Erie lost three games via a walkoff home run and lost two other times to Washington by blowing late-inning leads.
Reverse those five games and this squad is 15-5.
Sometimes it's the bullpen, sometimes it's the glovework. Either way, something has gone wrong turning sure wins into losses.
Manager John Massarelli doesn't put up with those brain lapses, so it's likely this team will turn it around quick.
This stretch of games at home is important. Massarelli knows it. The Crushers know it. The fans know it.
Baseball's a funny game, but when you play it correctly, it's also an easy game.
Look for Lake Erie to jump back into the thick of the race soon.

June 13 box score

Washington 4, Lake Erie 2

Washington 000 100 021 - 4 6 0
Lake Erie 001 001 000 - 2 8 3

Washington (7-13)

Player ab r h rbi
Sidick cf 5 0 0 0
Parker 2b 3 1 0 0
Psomas 1b 4 0 1 1
Dempsey dh 4 1 1 2
Sutton rf 4 0 1 0
Laurent lf 2 0 0 0
Demons pr/lf 0 1 0 0
Rochelle c 4 0 1 0
Raniere 3b 4 0 0 1
Grndstrnd ss 3 1 2 0
Totals 33 4 6 4

Lake Erie (10-10)

Player ab r h rbi

Rivera ss 5 0 1 0
Saylor dh 3 0 2 0
Hetherington rf 2 1 1 0
Grnkowski1b 5 0 0 0
Davis 3b 3 0 1 0
Binkowski lf 4 0 1 1
Bond cf 4 0 1 0
Griffiths c 3 0 0 0
Cheshire 2b 2 1 1 0
Totals 31 2 8 1

E - Rivera 2; Fagan. DP - Wild Things 2; Lake Erie 1. LOB - Wild Things 6; Lake Erie 13. 2B - Saylor. HR - Dempsey. HBP - Parker; Saylor. SH - Grandstrand. SF - Binkowski. SB - Demons; Raniere; Hetherington. CS - Laurent; Griffiths.

Washington
ip h r er bb so
McCollough 2.1 4 1 1 3 1
Lucas 2.2 2 0 0 2 0
Edwards W,(1-1) 1.2 2 1 1 3 1
Peterson S,4 2.1 0 0 0 1 5
Lake Erie
ip h r er bb so
Fagan L, (3-1) 7.1 5 3 2 1 4
Chambers 1.2 1 1 1 1 0
WP - Edwards. HBP - by Fagan (Parker); by Lucas (Saylor). T: 3:05 A: 2,145

Saturday, June 13, 2009

Gordie's gang

Lake Erie designated hitter/first baseman Gordie Gronkowski brings family from out of town to many weekend games, but the 6-foot-7 25-year-old already has himself quite a cult following at All Pro Freight Stadium.
While some of it might have to do with the fact that he's batting .409 (9-of-22) with 10 RBI at home, most of it comes from an outgoing personality.
Gronkowski is the first to greet fans and the last to leave the ballpark.
Every one of the Crushers is approachable. Every one of them signs autographs, but Gronkowski takes the extra step to make sure fans walk away with a little something more.
He's appreciative of praise and listens to criticism. But what he is, more than anything, is an everyday guy.
He was the catalyst Friday in an 8-7 win over Washington, belting a three-run double in the third and adding a bases-loaded walk later, but it's clear those at All Pro sit on pins and needles every time he steps to the plate.
And why not?
He's the throwback player who comes to the park because he loves the game and would play it for free if he had to.

Friday, June 12, 2009

June 12 box score

Lake Erie 8, Washington 7
Washington 200 013 100 - 7 11 2
Lake Erie 007 001 00x - 8 7 0
Washington (6-13)
Player ab r h rbi
Sidick cf 3 2 0 1
Parker 2b 4 2 1 0
Psomas1b 5 1 2 4
Dmpsy dh 5 1 1 1
Laurent lf 4 0 1 0
Sutton rf 4 0 3 1
Robbins c 3 1 1 0
Grnstnd ss 4 0 0 0
Raniere 3b 4 0 2 0
Totals 36 7 11 7
Lake Erie (10-9)
Player ab r h rbi
Rivera ss 4 1 1 1
Saylor 2b 3 1 1 0
Htherngtn rf 4 1 0 1
Grnkski dh 3 1 2 4
Davis 3b 3 1 1 1
Binkoski lf 3 0 1 0
McWlms1b 3 0 0 0
Bond cf 2
2 1 1
Maragas c 3 1 0 0
Totals 28 8 7 8
E - Parker; Pitts. DP - Wild Things 1. LOB - Wild Things 11; Lake Erie 7. 2B - Psomas; Dempsey; Sutton 2; Gronkowski. HR - Psomas. HBP - Parker; Laurent; Robbins. SH - Grandstrand; Binkoski; McWilliams. SF - Bond. SB - Sidick; Robbins 2; Bond.
Washington
ip h r er bb so
Pitts L, (0-1) 2.0 1 5 4 5 1
Fuhrman 3.0 5 3 3 1 2
Maradeo 2.0 0 0 0 2 4
Eachues 1.0 1 0 0 0 0
Lake Erie
ip h r er bb so
Lysander W, (2-0) 5.0 6 3 3 4 4
DeFratus 0.1 3 3 3 0 0
Davidson 0.2 1 0 0 0 1
Mata S,2 3.0 1 1 1 1 1
WP - Fuhrman; Maradeo; Lysander. HBP - by Lysander (Parker); by Davidson (Laurent); by Mata (Robbins). T: 3:10. A: 2,579

June 11 box score

Kalamazoo 5, Lake Erie 4
Lake Erie 020 020 000 00 - 4 9 0
Kalamazoo 010 010 002 01 - 5 12 4
Lake Erie (9-9)
Player AB R H RBI
Rivera ss 4 0 2 2
Saylor 2b 4 0 0 0
Hertherington 6 0 0 0
Gronkowski 1b 5 0 1 0
Davis 3b 5 1 1 0
Binkoski lf 4 2 2 0
Maragas c 5 0 1 0
Griffiths dh 5 1 0 1
McWilliams rf 4 0 2 1
Totals 42 4 9 4
Kalamazoo (12-6)
Player AB R H RBI
Anderson rf 6 0 0 0
Ramos 2b 4 0 1 0
Makonnen 1b 4 1 0 0
Brown ph/1b 1 1 1 2
Murphy dh 5 1 4 2
Ruiz c 5 0 1 0
Higgins ss 4 0 2 0
Moley lf 3 0 1 1
Williams ph/lf 2 0 0 0
Stancil 3b 2 1 1 0
Grose cf 4 1 1 0
Totals 40 5 12 5
Note: 1 out, 0 runners LOB when the game ended.
E - Ruiz, J 2; Higgins, K 2. DP - Crushers 1; Kings 1. LOB - Crushers 12;Kings 12. 2B - B Murphy; Stancil, H. HR - Brown, T. HBP - Binkoski, T. SH -Rivera, J. SF - Brown, T. SB - Binkoski, T; Stancil, H 2; J Grose. CS -Rivera, J; Higgins, K.
Lake Erie
IP H R ER BB SO
Skogley 6.0 7 2 2 4 4
Chambers 2.0 1 0 0 0 1
Gonell 2.0 3 2 2 3 3
Davidson L, (0-1) 0.1 1 1 1 0 0
Kalamazoo
IP H R ER BB SO
Robert 4.2 8 4 2 3 6
Benjamin 1.1 0 0 0 1 0
Shivers 4.0 0 0 0 0 6
Baerlocher 0.1 1 0 0 0 0
Mejia W, (1-0) 0.2 0 0 0 1 0
T: 3:41 A: 778

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

June 10 box score

Kalamazoo 2, Lake Erie 0
Lake Erie 000 000 000 - 0 5 1
Kalamazoo 100 100 00x - 2 3 1
Lake Erie (9-8)
Player AB R H RBI
Rivera ss 3 0 0 0
Saylor 2b 3 0 0 0
Hertherington rf 4 0 0 0
Gronkowski 1b 4 0 1 0
Davis 3b 4 0 2 0
Maragas dh 4 0 0 0
Bond cf 4 0 0 0
Binkoski lf 3 0 1 0
Griffiths c 3 0 1 0
Totals 32 0 5 0
Kalamazoo (11-6)
Player AB R H RBI
Anderson rf 2 1 0 0
Ramos 2b 2 0 0 0
Brown 1b 3 0 0 1
Murphy dh 4 0 0 0
Ruiz c 4 1 1 0
Williams lf 3 0 0 0
Higgins ss 2 0 1 1
Stancil 3b 3 0 0 0
Grose cf 2 0 1 0
Totals 25 2 3 2
E - Rivera, J; J Ramos. DP - Crushers 1; Kings 1. LOB - Crushers 7; Kings 6.2B - Ruiz, J; Higgins, K. SH -Grose. SF - Brown, T. SB - B Anderson 2; JRamos; Stancil, H. CS - Higgins, K.
Lake Erie
IP H R ER BB SO
DeLeon L, (1-2) 6.0 3 2 2 5 5
Mata 2.0 0 0 0 0 4
Kalamazoo
IP H R ER BB SO
Trent Lare W, (1-3) 9.0 5 0 0 2 6
T: 2:24 A: 897

Press release from the Crushers

The Lake Erie Crushers are gearing up for a nine-game home stand starting this Friday, June 12 at All Pro Freight Stadium. The home stand leads off on Friday at 7:05 p.m. against the Washington Wild Things with a Fantastic Fireworks show after the game presented by ESPN 850 WKNR.

Saturday is a Rally Round the Home Teams baseball cap giveaway for the first 1,000 fans and blood drive sponsored by LifeShare Community Blood Services and ESPN 850 WKNR. LifeShare will have two blood mobiles set up in front of the stadium from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. Fan interested in donating, should visit http://www.lifeshare.cc/. Game time is 7:05 p.m.

Sunday’s 5:05 p.m. game is Beach Party Night at All Pro Freight Stadium with a pre-game concert featuring Brent Burns presented by MAJIC 105.7. The gates will open early at 3:00 p.m. for the performance and for $20 fans will have access to a pre-game buffet in the picnic plaza while they enjoy the music. Fans who purchase their tickets to the pre-game picnic by Thursday will receive an additional $5 off. Sunday is also Family Day presented by 95.5 The Fish with Kids Run the Bases after the game sponsored by Chick-fil-A.

On Monday at 7:05 p.m., the Crushers start a three game contest against the Traverse City Beach Bums. Promotions that night feature dollar hot dogs, and a special pre-game performance by the School of Rock.

Tuesday is an early 11:05 a.m. game and features a Two-For-One special on all tickets. The Crushers face their final opponent of the home stand, the Midwest Sliders of Ypsilanti starting on Thirsty Thursday presented by WMMS 100.7 and Labatt Blue with dollar drafts and fountain drinks throughout the game.

The three game series against the Midwest Sliders of Ypsilanti will run through Saturday and includes Fireworks on Friday sponsored by WMMS 100.7 and the Morning Journal and a team photograph poster giveaway on Saturday presented by 96.5 KISS FM and the Morning Journal.

Tickets are still available for all games and start as low as $6! To reserve your seat, call 440-934-3636 or visit LakeErieCrushers.com today! “Lake Erie Crushers Baseball…Grand Slam Family Fun! presented by the Cleveland Clinic.”

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

June 9 box score

Kalamazoo 6, Lake Erie 5
Lake Erie 200 010 020 - 5 9 1
Kalamazoo 010 003 20x - 6 11 0
Lake Erie (9-7)
Player AB R H RBI
Rivera ss 5 1 1 0
Saylor 2b 4 2 4 3
Hetherington rf 3 1 1 0
Gronkowski dh 4 0 1 0
Davis 3b 3 0 0 1
Binkoski lf 4 0 0 0
Maragas c 4 1 1 0
McWilliams 1b 3 0 1 0
Bond cf 4 0 0 0
Totals 34 5 9 4
Kalamazoo (10-6)
Player AB R H RBI
Anderson rf 5 0 1 0
Ramos 2b 4 1 2 0
Brown 1b 3 1 0 0
Murphy dh 4 3 3 2
Ruiz c 2 0 1 1
Williams lf 4 0 1 0
Higgins ss 4 1 1 0
Ramon 3b 3 0 1 2
Grose cf 4 0 1 0
Totals 33 6 11 5
E - Rivera, J. DP - Crushers 1; Kings 1. LOB - Crushers 5; Kings 7. 2B - Saylor, A; B Anderson; Ramon, A. HR - Saylor, A; B Murphy. HBP - Brown, T; Ruiz, J. SF - Ruiz, J. SB - J Ramos. CS - McWilliams.
Lake Erie
IP H R ER BB SO
Faiola L, (0-3) 5.2 8 4 3 0 2
Davidson 1.1 2 2 2 0 1
Gonell 1.0 1 0 0 1 2
Kalamazoo
IP H R ER BB SO
Brownell W, (4-0) 7.0 6 3 3 2 5
Baerlocher 0.0 3 2 2 1 0
Mejia S, 4 2.0 0 0 0 0 3
WP - J Brownell. HBP - by Faiola, J (Ruiz, J); by Faiola, J (Brown, T). T: 2:46 A: 3,133
Baerlocher faced 4 batters in the 8th.

Sunday, June 7, 2009

Pitching an idea

Initial reactions to Lake Erie's release of Nick Tisone might be a little synical, but a deeper look into the situation might draw other conclusions.
This is just a theory, but the Crushers might have released the righ-hander as a favor.
Tisone came to the Crushers from the Southern Illinois Miners, where he led the team in wins (9), strikeouts (79), innings pitched (129 1/3) and starts (19) in 2008.
With the Crushers,he went 2-0 with a 5.63 earned run average with Lake Erie in eight innings with three strikeouts.
And it was all out of the bullpen.
Therein could be the reason Lake Erie skipper John Massarelli let Tisone go in favor of Alberto Rolen.
The last numbers found on Rolen have him at Sonoma State University where he went 5-3 in 51 1/3 innings with 44 strikeouts.
The Frontier League is proud of the fact it won't hold players back who might have the tools to play at an affiliated level or higher.
Not that the Crushers were holding Tisone back, but my theory is the right-hander wanted to be a starter, so he was released to find his niche somewhere else.
I could be wrong. Heck, I have been before.
But that's why I think the move was made.

June 7 box score

Lake Erie 9, Rockford 4
Rockford 000 000 400 -- 4 4 1

Lake Erie 020 520 00x -- 9 9 0

Riverhawks 4 (4-12)

Player ab r h rbi

Goetz cf 2 1 0 0
Sanders ss 4 1 1 0
James lf 3 0 1 0
McCoy rf 4 0 0 0
Knapp 3b 3 1 1 0
Sabates dh 3 1 1 4
Mazurek 1b 3 0 0 0
Blumenthal c 3 0 0 0
Fields 2b 2 0 0 0
Totals 27 4 4 4

Lake Erie (9-6)
Player ab r h rbi
Rivera ss 3 2 1 0
Saylor 2b 4 1 3 3
Hetherington rf 4 1 1 1
Gronkowski 1b 4 1 2 3
Davis 3b 3 0 0 0
Cheshire 3b 1 0 0 0
Binkoski lf 4 1 1 0
Maragas dh 2 0 0 1
Bond cf 3 2 1 0
Griffith c 3 1 0 0
Totals 31 9 9 8

E - Sanders. DP - Crushers 3. LOB - Riverhawks 1; Crushers 7. 2B - Knapp; Rivera; Saylor; Binkoski. HR - Sabates; Gronkowski. HBP - Goetz 2; James; Maragas; Bond. SF - Saylor; Maragas.

Rockford
ip h r er bb so
Rogers L,(0-2) 3.0 8 7 7 4 2
Marcum 2.0 1 2 2 1 0
Mateo 3.0 0 0 0 0 2

Lake Erie
ip h r er bb so
Fagan W, (3-0) 7.0 4 4 4 1 5
Mata 2.0 0 0 0 1 2
HBP - by Rogers (Maragas); by Marcum (Bond); by Fagan (Goetz); by Mata (Goetz); by Mata (James). PB - Blumenthal 2. T: 2:35 A: 2,144.

Rogers faced 5 batters in the 4th.

Hitting really is contagious

You could see it coming Saturday night.
Lake Erie batters were getting to Jay Monti, but just weren't finishing things off like they should in a 7-5 win over Rockford.
But then the squad made its third trip through the lineup and it exploded into a scene where the Crushers could do no wrong.
Lake Erie, which has won three of five games at home, picked up eight hits in the sixth and seventh to erase a one-run deficit.
“I was talking to Gordie and said the second time around – third time around – we’d get to him,” Crushers center fielder Luke Hetherington said. “We were just looking for a pitch middle away to drive it. I knew that third time through we’d get to him.”
Lake Erie knocked around the RiverHawks on four consecutive hits in the sixth and strung together four in five at-bats in the seventh to blow it wide open.
That's what the Crushers have done on the homestand so far and it's leading to some exciting baseball.
While this squad has dropped two, when they need to, the Crushers step on the gas and string together hits.
Lake Erie coach John Massarelli talked about getting to the starting pitcher either at the start of his outing, near the middle of it or at the end and that's what the Crushers are doing.
It's led to some big innings and big innings win baseball games.
Heck, the squad almost erased a seven-run deficit on Thursday to win. So far this season, these guys are proving they're really never out of any game.

Saturday, June 6, 2009

June 6 box score

Lake Erie 7, Rockford 5
Rockford 001 200 011 -- 5 12 0
Lake Erie 002 003 20x -- 7 13 3
Rockford (4-11)
Player ab r h rbi
Goetz cf 5 0 0 1
Sanders 2b 5 0 3 0
James lf 5 0 4 1
Knapp 3b 5 1 1 1
McCoy dh 3 1 1 0
Mazurek rf 3 1 1 0
Dempsey c 2 0 0 0
Simon 1b 4 0 1 2
Brooks ss 3 2 1 0
Totals 35 5 12 5

Lake Erie (8-6)
Player ab r h rbi
Rivera ss 4 1 1 0
Saylor 2b 4 1 1 0
Hetherington cf 4 1 3 2
Gronkowski dh 4 1 2 1
Davis 3b 4 1 2 1
Binkoski lf 4 0 1 1
McWilliams 1b 4 0 0 0
Gibson rf 2 1 0 0
Maragas c 4 1 3 1
Totals 34 7 13 6
E - Saylor; Binkoski; Maragas. DP - Crushers 4. LOB - Riverhawks 8; Crushers 5. 2B - McCoy;
Hetherington; Maragas 2. 3B - Davis. HR - Knapp. HBP - Gibson. SH - Dempsey; Brooks. SB - Goetz;
Brooks; Hetherington; Gibson. CS - Gibson.

Rockford
ip h r er bb so
Monti L, (1-3) 5.1 8 5 5 0 3
Enderle 1.1 5 2 2 0 3
McKenzie 1.1 0 0 0 1 0

Lake Erie
ip h r er bb so
Lysander 5.0 8 3 3 3 0
DeLeon W,(1-1) 2.0 1 0 0 0 2
Gonell 2.0 3 2 1 0 1
HBP - by Monti (Gibson).T: 2:40 A: 3,221

Reloading the pen with ink

There was so much more to Kevin Skogley's win on Friday than the box score shows.
The 7 1/3 innings the left-hander ate up saved manager John Masserelli some serious angst in a 7-3 win over Rockford.
After using relievers to register 26 of the 27 outs the night before, a long outing is just what the doctor ordered for Lake Erie.
And that's what Mazz got out of his tall lefty, who probably would have gone a little longer had he not got into a pickle in the eighth.
No worries, Brian Chambers came in and gobbled up the last 1 2/3 innings to save some arms.
With two more days to go before an offday, those arms need the rest.
What's even worse is the fact that after Monday, Lake Erie will play 24 straight games before getting a day off. That would be July 2, so saving some bullpen pitching came in handy.
It wouldn't be a bad thing to see Brent Lysander and Paul Fagan go deep in their starts over the weekend either.
Massarelli has said he won't judge his team until it is 30 games into the 96-game schedule.
No doubt saving a few arms will make his view a little more clear.

Friday, June 5, 2009

June 5 box score

Lake Erie 7, Rockford 3
Rockford Riverhawks 010 000 020 -- 3 6 2
Lake Erie Crushers 302 000 11x -- 7 8 1
Rockford (4-10)
Player ab r h rbi
Goetz cf 4 0 0 0
Sanders 2b 4 1 1 1
James lf 4 0 3 0
Sabates dh 3 0 0 0
Mazurek dh 1 0 0 1
Knapp 1b 4 1 1 0
McCoy rf 1 0 0 0
Dempsey c 3 0 0 0
Brooks ss 3 0 0 1
Fields 3b 4 1 1 0
Totals 31 3 6 3

Lake Erie 7 (7-6)
Player ab r h rbi
Rivera ss 3 1 1 0
Saylor 2b 4 0 1 1
Hetherington rf 3 2 1 0
Gronkowski 1b 2 3 1 1
Davis 3b 3 0 1 1
Tim Binkoski lf 3 0 2 3
Wayne cf 4 0 0 0
McWilliams dh 3 0 0 0
Maragas c 3 1 1 0
Totals 28 7 8 6
E - Sanders; Brooks; Gronkowski. DP - Crushers 1. LOB - Riverhawks 6; Crushers 3. 2B - James;
Knapp; Fields; Gronkowski; Davis. HBP - Gronkowski. SH - Dempsey. SF - Brooks; Davis; Binkoski.
SB - James 2; Gronkowski; Binkoski. CS - Rivera.


Rockford
ip h r er bb so
Neigebauer L (0-2) 6.2 7 6 5 2 3
Cribby 1.1 1 1 1 1 0
Lake Erie
ip h r er bb so
Skogley W(1-0) 7.1 6 3 3 3 5
Chambers 1.2 0 0 0 0 2

Not totally defeated

It’s still a 10-7 loss, but Lake Erie can build from Thursday’s defeat to the two-time champion Windy City ThunderBolts.Spotting Windy City a seven-run lead in the first, the Crushers won just about every inning thereafter, cutting a 9-1 deficit at one-point to three runs.While John Massarelli wasn’t pleased with his starting pitching, he wasn’t that upset afterward with the effort his team gave.One run begat two runs, begat three runs and suddenly the Crushers were back in it when Wayne Bond hit the first-ever home run by Lake Erie in the seventh.
Lake Erie even had a chance to tie it up later in the frame, but Jodam Rivera struck out with two on.
It’s still not a W, but the Crushers showed they’re really never out of any game. That could go a long way with Rockford in town – a team Lake Erie swept last weekend.

Thursday, June 4, 2009

June 4 box score

Windy City 10, Lake Erie 7
Windy City 700 201 000 -- 10 9 0
Lake Erie 001 210 300 -- 7 11 2
Windy City (9-4)
Player ab r h rbi
Mejia 2b 4 2 2 1
Martinez ss 2 3 1 0
Restko 1b
3 1 1 1
Cook dh 5 0 1 0
Hall 3b 3 1 1 1
Gonzalez rf 4 1 0 0
Farrar cf 4 1 1 1
Aakhus c 4 1 2 2
Walcott lf 3 0 0 1
Totals 32 10 9 7
Lake Erie (6-6)
Player ab r h rbi
Rivera ss 4 0 1 2
Saylor 2b 3 0 0 0
Cheshire ph/2b 2 0 0 0
Hetherington rf 5 1 3 1
Gronkowski dh 4 1 0 0
Davis 3b 2 2 2 1
Bond cf 5 1 1 3
McWilliams 1b 5 1 2 0
Maragas c 1 1 0 0
Binkoski lf 3 0 2 0
Totals 34 7 11 7
E - McWilliams; Maragas. DP - Thunderbolts 4; Crushers 1. LOB - Thunderbolts 8; Crushers 9. 2B Mejia;
Restko; Hetherington. HR - Bond. HBP - Aakhus; Walcott. SF - Hall, Na; Walcott. SB Mejia
2; Martinez 3; Aakhus. CS - Aakhus.
Windy City
ip h r er bb so
Zegarac 3.1
5 3 3 4 3
Pease 0.2 1 0 0 0 1
Hall 1.0 1 1 1 1 2

Kamine 1.0 1 0 0 1 0
Garner 1.0 3 3 3 2 2
Jernstad W (2-0) 1.0 0 0 0 1 2
Axelrod S,2 1.0 0 0 0 0 0
Lake Erie
ip h r er bb so
DeLeon L (0-1) 0.1 1 6 6 5 1
Tisone 3.2 4 3 3 3 0
Mata 3.0 1 1 0 1 2
Davidson 2.0 3 0 0 0 1

All Pro pitcher's park

Just a thought here.
While ground-rule doubles will become the norm at All Pro Freight Stadium this season because of the springboard field, pitchers will love the park.
The huge trees that sit about 20 feet off the right-field foul pole (still don't understand why they don't call it a fair pole) and jet out to center field help pitchers. Any wind that might help a hitter is negated by the monsters behind the fence.
If you're going to hit one out, it's going to have to come like Vinnie Scarduzio's shot on Wednesday. The Windy City right fielder sent a screamer that drilled the scoreboard in right-center field about 30 feet up.
It's only two games, but there's been a ton of bombs hit that stayed in the yard.
Only time will tell if the theory is wrong.