Slammers Lose On Walk Off Single

Kellen Kulbacki singled to right field with two outs in the ninth inning to drive in the winning run as the Lake Erie Crushers edged the Joliet Slammers by a final score of 4-3 Saturday night.

The Slammers gave starter Jake Renshaw some early run support. In the first inning, Bobby Leeper drew a lead-off walk. One out later Josh Flores extended his hitting streak to five games as he singled up the middle. Then with two away it was Devin Shepherd and Kris Kasarjian smacking back-to-back RBI singles to give Joliet the 2-0 edge.

Renshaw did not allow a hit in the first three innings but Lake Erie took the lead thanks to a big fourth inning. With one out, Kulbacki smoked a ground-rule double. A Nick Mahin single put runners at the corners and Jason Taylor singled home Kulbacki to make the score 2-1.

Robby Kuzdale drove a ball to deep center that Devin Shepherd could not track down, clearing the bases with a two-RBI triple. The 3-2 lead was not extended though as Kuzdale was thrown out at home plate by third baseman Kyle Maunus on a grounder off the bat of Zac Messer.

Joliet wasted no time responding as Leeper hit his first home run of the year in the top of the fifth to tie the game at three.

Renshaw worked out of numerous jams including a bases loaded one in the fifth on his way to a no-decision. He went six innings, scattering six hits, giving up the three runs, walking three and striking-out three as well.

Joliet continued to have issues driving in runners as they left two runners on in the seventh and eighth and one runner on in the ninth inning.

They would pay in the bottom of the ninth. Chuck Lukanen pitched a scoreless seventh and Jeremy Tietze equaled him in the eighth. But in the ninth inning he gave up a lead-off single to Kyle Shaffer.

Two outs and a walk later Kulbacki delivered the crushing blow with a single to right. Josh Flores made a great throw to the plate but Shaffer was able to slide in safely as the Crushers walked off with the win.