The Sussex County Miners took game two of this three game series versus the Lake Erie Crushers, where a Sussex County sixth inning that drove in five runs was the deciding factor in the 7-4 Miners win.
The Crushers strike first in the top of the second inning. After starting pitcher Jacob Casson retired the first two batters, third baseman Chayton Krauss lined a double to register the first hit of the game. Shortstop Jarrod Watkins was able to keep the offense alive with an RBI single to left, bringing Krauss home for the first score of the game, giving the Crushers the early 1-0 lead.
The Miners were able to answer shortly after the Crushers put points on the board. In the bottom of the inning, first baseman Mahki Backstrom worked a walk and stole second from first before shortstop Evan Berkey lined a single to right, advancing Berkey and Backstrom in scoring position. Third baseman Dean Ferrara delivered a two-run double to right field, sending Backstrom and Berkey home to give the Miners the 2-1 lead.
Both defenses held strong and were efficient, as the next score in the game came in the top of the sixth inning from the Crushers. Center fielder Garrett Pike led off with a single to left before left fielder Sebastian Alexander flew out to center. Designated hitter Pavin Pikes lined an RBI double to right, leading Pike to home plate, knotting this game up at 2-2.
The Miners were able to break the game wide open in the bottom of the sixth inning, delivering five runs in the inning. Center fielder Edwin Mateo drew a leadoff walk before left fielder Gabriel Maciel ripped a triple to right field, his second triple of the season to score Mateo and put Sussex County back on top 3-2. The scoring wasn’t done just yet, as the Miners were able to continue their hot offense. Backstrom worked his second walk of the day, and right fielder Keenan Taylor slapped a ball to left field for a single.
Berkey knocked a two-run single to left, plating Maciel and Taylor to extend the lead. A throwing error on a pickoff attempt from Crushers pitcher Alex Garbrick moved Backstrom to third and Berkey to second, setting up Ferrara’s RBI single to right to score Backstrom for his third RBI of the game. Berkey moved to third, and catcher Sandro Gaston reached on a fielder’s choice, allowing Berkey to cross the plate and cap the Miners five run outburst for a 7-2 advantage.
The Crushers were able to rally in the top of the seventh inning, cutting the Miners deficit by scoring two more runs of their own. Krauss opened the frame with a single for his second hit before Watkins lined out to second. Second baseman Luis Acevedo then drove an RBI double for his first hit of the game, scoring Krauss, and after catcher Nicholas Chavez flew out to center, Pike followed with an RBI single to left that brought Acevedo home, cutting Sussex County’s lead to 7-4 to end the inning.
Despite the late rally, the Miners were able to come out on top 7-4 to win game two of this three game series after winning game one on Friday 17-1. The Miners jump to 34-36, riding on a two game winning streak going into tomorrow’s contest. For the Crushers, they fall to 29-42 and now extend their losing streak to three.
Making his first professional start tonight for the Miners was Jacob Casson. The 6’3 right hander from the CCAA worked 6.2 innings, allowing four runs on nine hits while striking out four to earn the victory.
The Miners will look to sweep the Crushers tomorrow, August 2nd at Skylands Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Fans can watch live on the Frontier League Network powered by HTN or listen on Mixlr. Streaming links are available at scminers.com
Written by Justin Shepard