Crystal Lake Roundup – Scores on the Week

[Apollos]

8/16/2007: Crystal Lake, IL - CL was 3-4 on the week. Fortunately, no games were lost in the standings and the Sandgnats were able to maintain their four game lead. The record could have been better but there were some tough luck 9th inning losses.

Yuma
YUM 2 – CL 1. It was another game loss for Anderson, who struck out 13 while walking none over his 7 innings of work. Yuma’s Quiñones leadoff homer in the 3rd was the only run Anderson would give up. Again CL was not able to put up any credible offense for their staff ace. That one run stood up until the 8th when the Gnats were finally able to score. Christian singled in Coronado, who had doubled to lead off the inning. This tied the game. It looked like the momentum might swing back to the Gnats. Unfortunately, the normally reliable Chacón served up a solo shot to Kaufman in the bottom of the 9th and the game was over.


Fargo Series
CL 8 – FAR 3. Cruz’s record improves to 10-2. CL put this game away early with a 4-run first inning on 4 hits. They scored 2 more in each of the 2nd and 3rd innings to put the game out of reach. Cruz struck out 8 batters in 8 innings while walking none and scattering 6 hits. Shepherd yielded a run on a solo shot in the 9th but struck out the side to finish the game. Attendance was 33,500.
CL 4 – FAR 0. Stewart’s record is now 13-3. CL put together some hits in the first to score two. O'Donnell singled and Pace drove him in with his double off the wall. Pace would score 2 batters later on Grymes's single to right. Unfortunately, Coronado was thrown out at the plate trying to score. Grymes drove in 2 more runs in the 4th inning with his fifth homer of the season to conclude the scoring. The Gnats’ pitching did not allow any runs and Goudie came in to help Stewart and close it out. It was almost a full house as attendance was 34,700.
FAR 4 - CL 3. CL had a chance to sweep but after a 3-3 tie, the game became a pitchers’ duel until the 13th inning when Fargo’s Anderson hit his 29th double and scored two batters later on a fly ball to right. Gnats pitchers struck out eighteen batters but could not score off Fargo relievers, who fired off 6 scoreless innings of relief. Attendance remained high at 34,500.

Palm Spring Series
PS 12 – CL 2. This was a real blood bath. Sparling and Montoya were lit up for 8 earned and 3 unearned runs. CL could muster only 3 hits. It was one of the worst drubbings of the year. Enough said.
PS 3 - CL 2. Homers by Erickson and van Tiggelen were enough for Palm Springs to win. CL did have ten hits but could only tally two runs as poor scoring and execution again victimized Anderson. Anderson’s record drops to 8-9. O’Donnell stole his 47th base. This was the Sandgnats third loss in a row and one of the longest losing streaks this season.
CL 3 – PS 2. Cruz was solid over five inning of work. It would take five CL relievers to win this one and break the three game losing streak. The Codgers tied the game in the 7th inning on Frazier’s homer off of Goudie. CL came back in the top of the 8th to again take the lead. Morales doubled home Grymes to score the lead run. Howard, Shepherd, and Chacón pitched the remaining two innings and allowed only one hit to nail down the victory.