AVON, Ohio — The Schaumburg Boomers managed just three hits in dropping the middle game in Ohio to the Lake Erie Crushers by a 6-1 final. Despite the loss, the Boomers remain two games up in the West as Gateway scored six unanswered runs to win at Windy City.

Lake Erie jumped ahead in the first inning without a hit. Joe Redfield reached on a walk before one of the top base stealers in the league swiped second and third. Pavin Parks lifted a sacrifice fly to open the scoring. Consecutive singles for Lake Erie with two outs in the fourth pushed the lead to 2-0. Schaumburg did not record a hit until the top of the sixth. Cole Smith was hit by a pitch to open the inning before Anthony Calarco tallied the lid lifting hit, an opposite field single. Kellum Clark put the Boomers on the board with an RBI single, knocking home his 70th run of the year. The 70 RBIs are tied with Calarco for the third most in franchise history. Lake Erie immediately answered in the bottom half with a homer from Parks to push the lead back to a pair at 3-1. The Crushers collected three insurance runs in the eighth to account for the final. Calarco, Clark and Banks Tolley picked up hits for the Boomers. Buddie Pindel suffered the loss despite posting a quality start, allowing three runs in six innings of work.

The Boomers (49-40) conclude the weekend series with an afternoon game at 12:05pm on Sunday. RHP Derek Salata (5-5, 4.38) will make his second start of the week in the finale against LHP Jack Eisenbarger (2-6, 8.23). The Boomers are in the midst of a stretch which features 19-of-24 on the road. The team will return home to begin the final nine home dates of the year on August 25 against Evansville for Bark in the Park presented by Golf Rose Animal Hospital. Don’t miss out on the fun before it’s too late. Feel the Boom this summer! Visit boomersbaseball.com or call 847-461-3695 to secure your ticket to fun this summer.