CornBelters outslug crushers in road trip opener

Posted on July 23, 2016

By WJBC Staff

AVON, Ohio – The Normal CornBelters jumped ahead early and never trailed in a 7-1 win over the Lake Erie Crushers on Friday night at All Pro Freight Stadium.

Nolan Meadows hit a solo home run to right field in the second inning for the game’s first hit and an early CornBelters lead. The advantage extended to 2-0 in the third inning when Dylan Kelly led off with a double, went to third on a sacrifice and scored on a single to right by Santiago Chirino.

Meadows homered to nearly the same spot with one out in the fourth inning for a 3-0 Normal lead, and Kelly drove in Brandon Roberts, who had doubled after the homer, and Justin Fletcher singled home Craig Lepre for a 5-0 count.

The Crushers took advantage of three walks, a wild pitch and an error to plate a run in the sixth inning but left the bases loaded to keep the Belters in front 5-1. Kelly again drove in Roberts with a base hit up the middle in the eighth and Dillon Haupt singled in Chirino in the ninth for the final score.

Mike Schweiss (5-4) picked up the win with six innings on the hill, surrendering one unearned run on three hits with seven walks and seven strikeouts. Steve Hagen (3-4) suffered the loss, also working six innings with five runs (earned) on nine hits with one walk and four strikeouts.

The series continues Saturday at 6:05 p.m. Central in a mound match-up of right-handers, Normal’s Chris Carmain (2-6, 4.85 ERA) and Lake Erie’s Mike Devine (7-2, 2.51). The WJBC.com broadcast begins at 5:50.

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