AVON, Ohio – The Gateway Grizzlies got to experience both ends of the stick on Wednesday, falling short 9-5 in the first leg of a doubleheader and edging out a 3-2 extra-inning win in game two.
Gateway struck early in game one, taking a 1-0 lead on a Jay Prather RBI single in the top of the first. However, most of the offense the rest of the way came courtesy of Lake Erie. The Crushers brought home five runs in the bottom of the second and then four more between the third and fifth frames.
The Grizzlies got more scoring by way of a Dustin Woodcock two-run home run, an Andres Regnault RBI single, and a Chase Vallot double play ball, but still fell well short.
Gateway RHP Drew Clavenna (2-2) gave up eight of the runs en route to his second loss, while Lake Erie RHP Tyson Cronin (2-2) tossed his way to his second win of the year.
Game two featured significantly less scoring, but this time it was the Crushers turn to open the book. Karl Ellison plated Trevor Achenbach on a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the second to put Lake Erie in front 1-0.
The teams then exchanged blows in the fourth, with Jose Rosario’s two-run single and another RBI hit for Ellison squaring the score at 2-2. This stalemate held throughout the remainder of the seven-inning contest, forcing extras.
Then, with Carter Hayes—a pitcher—as the runner beginning the inning on second base, Prather brought him home on a decisive RBI single.
Grizzlies RHP Colton Easterwood (2-3) earned the victory in game two with a pair of flawless relief innings in the sixth and seventh. Crushers RHP Daniel Kight (1-2) was charged with the loss. Geoffrey Bramblett (5) worked a clean extra inning to keep his record, save record and ERA perfect.
