The Lake Erie Crushers just broke their five-game losing streak with a win over Washington on June 4, but found themselves back in the losing column with a 5-1 home defeat to the Sussex County Miners on June 6.
The Crushers (9-13) got another solid outing on the mound from Angelo Baez, but the offensive woes continued with only one run. Since May 21, Lake Erie has lost 11 of its last 14 games and remains tied for last place in the West with the Windy City Thunderbolts.
Through 22 games, the team has a league-low 78 runs.
“(Angelo) pitched great. That’s all you can ask for,” Crushers manager Jared Lemieux said. “We didn’t get the runs we needed for him, that’s all. These guys are professional hitters and we’ll figure out, I can say that. It’s just a matter of time.”
Baez gave up only three runs and five hits in 7 1/3 innings, but earned his second loss of the season. He retired the first nine Miner batters of the game before giving up his first hit to Edwin Mateo in the top of the fourth. Another single from Will Zimmerman put two runners on with no outs, but Baez got through it with three straight outs.
In the meantime, the Crushers’ offense only had one hit through three innings, and it was from Todd Isaacs Jr. on the team’s first at-bat. The bats got going a little bit in the bottom of the fourth with two hits, but Jarrod Watkins was called out on his way to third after it was determined that Gabe Snyder interfered at the plate on his strikeout.
It was simple, but the Miners scored the game’s first run in the fifth. Jawuan Harris hit a leadoff single, stole second and tagged to third on a fly out. Abraham Mow flew out to left field on the next at-bat to score Harris on a sacrifice RBI.
The Crushers were able to tie up the score at 1-1 in the bottom of the sixth, but it wasn’t without mistakes from the Miners’ defense. With two runners on and one out, Mark Moclair threw an errant ball to second base on what would’ve been a routine double play. With the bases loaded, Jiandido Tromp grounded into a fielder’s choice RBI. Instead of trying to get Watkins out at home for the force out, shortstop Willie Escala threw to second to get the out, tying the game.
Baez’s night was quickly coming to an end in the top of the eighth as Oraj Anu hit a leadoff double. After recording a strikeout, Baez gave up an RBI single to Escala, putting the Miners in front for good.
JD Hammer entered the game in relief for the Crushers, but Sussex County put on three more runs and two more hits in the inning. Mateo laid down a perfect bunt, and Zimmerman drew a walk to load the bases. Gavin Stupienski came up next and his ball got through with an error, scoring two runs. Juan Santana tacked on the team’s fifth run with an infield RBI single.
Lake Erie tried to make some noise in the bottom of the ninth with multiple base runners, but were unable to get the ball past the infield. After a strong outing from Moclair, Ronnie Voacolo finished the last two innings in relief.
“These guys are competing. It’s not for lack of effort,” Lemieux said. “We’re playing good defense and I think we’re pitching the ball well. The bats will come around. That’s the thing, hitting comes and goes, but if you keep playing clean baseball, we’ll get out of it no problem.”
