Crushers rally for 10-inning victory over Joliet

AVON — Just as things were looking dim for Lake Erie, Kenen Irizarry set off a flashbang that left Joliet stunned in the ninth inning. The Crushers, who had a 20-minute delay because lights on the third-base side went out during the second at-bat of the eighth inning, rallied in the ninth behind Irizarry's grand slam and walked it off on a wild pitch in the 10th for a 7-6 win against the Slammers at Crushers Stadium on Thursday night. Amherst baseball coach Matt Rositano and Oberlin boys basketball coach Kurt Russell threw out ceremonial first pitches. "From the beginning of the inning, I said if I get a chance to hit I'm going to go for it," Irizarry said. "I swung for the fence. When it happened, it was so amazing." The Crushers (43-30) are in a tight race with Washington for the Central Division crown. The Wild Things swept Lake Erie last weekend to tie for first, but winning this series gave the Crushers a two-game lead. Lake Erie has won 10 of its last 13 games. Lake Erie looks to continue the momentum against Florence, which comes to Avon for a three-game series, beginning today at 7:05 p.m. The Y'alls have won their last six games and are looking to claw back into the playoff race. "This was a playoff series in my mind," Lake Erie manager Jared Lemieux said. "We knew we needed to take care of business. We made it interesting, certainly, but it is that kind of atmosphere and these guys need to get used to this because we're fixing to play some big games down the stretch here." Joliet tagged Lake Erie starter Dylan Spain for five singles during a five-run fifth, also benefiting from a fielding error and a hit by pitch. Liam McCarthur, Bryant Flete, Braylin Marine, Brandon Heidel and Chris Davis all recorded hits, with Marine, Heidel and Davis each driving in runs. Joliet starter Gunnar Kines — who pitched for Lake Erie in 2022 — allowed two earned runs in six innings on four hits and a walk with six strikeouts. Lake Erie got a run back in the fifth when Derek Vegas walked and Jarrod Watkins drove him in with a double. Scout Knotts added a solo home run in the sixth to make it 5-2. Even though Joliet got an insurance run in the ninth, it wasn't enough. A walk, a single and a hit by pitch loaded the bases for Irizarry, who crushed a pitch by the scoreboard to tie the game. Leonardo Rodriguez pitched a clean 10th, striking out the final two batters, and the Crushers loaded the bases in their half of the inning and scored the winning run on a wild pitch. "It was a big bounce back appearance (for Rodriguez) from his previous one," Lemieux said. "He was frustrated. He has a lot of pride, and he went to work in the bullpen today to iron some things out. He might not have had his best stuff, but he's a gritty competitor and he showed tonight, as they were fouling pitches off over and over." Contact Chris Sweeney at 329-7135 or ctsports@chroniclet.com. Follow him @CSweeney1686 on X.