The Crushers entered Tuesday night’s game against Oakland County after dropping two of three games to the Traverse City Beach Bums, and No. 3 hitter, third baseman Andrew Davis, batted .100 during the three-game set.

In 10 at bats this season, Davis has one hit and one RBI with three walks. Last season, Davis was the Crushers’ most productive hitter with a .327 batting average and led the club in four offensive statistical categories – runs (74), hits (120), triples (7) and walks (52). His batting average was good for sixth in the league, and if the Crushers wish to rebound from dropping the opening series of the season, Davis is going to need to find his 2009 form. In his second at bat against Oakland County, Davis drove in center fielder Dom Duggan for the game’s second run.

Streaks snapped

Catcher Joel Collins, second baseman Drew Saylor and Eddie Tisdale snapped their three-game hitting streaks during Wednesday’s 3-2 win against Oakland County. Both Tisdale and Saylor are slugging .667 this season. The two have combined for eight hits, five runs, two home runs and 16 total bases.

Hitting and pitching

As a team, the Crushers are batting .260 this season, good for eighth in the 13-team Frontier League.

Crushers’ pitchers, however, are struggling. Entering play Tuesday, their 5.90 ERA is the third-worst in the league and have only struck out 12 – the lowest total of any pitching staff.

Perhaps starter Phil Rummel’s eight-strikeout performance will improve the team’s ranking moving forward.

The two bright spots are relief pitcher Alberto Rolon and Jesse Orosco. In two appearances this season, Rolon has pitched 3.1 innings with a squeaky-clean 0.00 ERA, two strikeouts and two walks. That changed Wednesday when he allowed the game-tying two-run home run to Cruisers left fielder Jim Jones in the top of the ninth

In Orosco’s only appearance on the season, he surrendered one hit struck out one in two innings of work.

Nearly error free

In four games this season, the Crushers’ defense has only committed one error. Following Sunday’s 8-4 loss to Traverse City, first baseman Eddie Tisdale said he wants to be the best defensive first baseman in the league

And following Dom Duggan’s nasty, over-the-shoulder catch in center on Tuesday, he wants understands the importance of pitching and defense, particularly early in the season.

Travis Risser makes first pro start for Crushers. He allows just one hit and no runs in his first four innings but hits a batter and gives up three straight hits in the top of the fifth in the Crushers 6-2 loss to the Beach Bums.

STARTING LINEUPS
May 22, 2010
7:05 p.m.
All-Pro Freight Stadium

Traverse City Beach Bums (0-1)
Manager – #20 Gregg Langbehn

8 Jason Codiroli CF
4 Michael Diaz 2B
12 Bobby Spain 3B
32 Chase Burch DH
19 J.T. Hall LF
48 C.J. Ziegler 1B
17 Matt Brown RF
7 Andrew Franco C
18 Kyle Eveland SS
Startng Pitcher
37 Michael Moore RHP

Lake Erie Crushers (1-0)
Manager – #26 John Massarelli

9 Dom Duggan CF
2 Jodem Rivera SS
21 Andrew Davis 3B
22 Eddie Tisdale 1B
4 Drew Saylor 2B
30 Travis Vetters DH
10 Arden Saylor 2B
7 Wayne Bond LF
3 Julio Rivera C
Starting Pitcher
35 Travis Risser RHP



UMPIRES
Home Plate: Jim Muhleck
Bases: Douglas Nauer

Tonight's starting pitcher Travis Risser

Game 1 Crusher notebook

The Crushers open the defense of their Frontier League title with a 8-5 win over the Beach Bums. Arden McWilliams, Eddie Tisdale and Wayne Bond all hit solo homers in the win. Esmelivin Jimenez picked up the victory in relief of Cardoza Tucker, who left the game with two outs in the third with an injury. No word yet on the extent but it is believed to be a sprain.


Crushers 8, Beach Bums 5
Traverse City (0-1) 010 003 10 5 9 1
Lake Erie (1-0) 011 240 00x 8 11 1
Hits- Traverse City: Codiroli, Diaz (2), Hall (2), Ziegler(2), Brown, Johnson
Lake Erie: Rivera, Saylor (2), Davis, Tisdale, McWilliams, Bond (2), Collins (2), Duggan; 2b- TC: Hall; HR- TC: Ziegler; LE: McWilliams, Tisdale, Bond; WP: Esmelvin Jimenez (1-0); LP: Kevin Reese (0-1); S: Alberto Rolon (1)

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