AVON, Ohio - The Lake Erie Crushers rallied from a 2-0 deficit, but failed to hang on as Gateway used a four-run eighth to return the favor and rebound for a 6-3 victory in front of 3,402 fans at All Pro Freight Stadium.

The Grizzlies took an early 2-0 advantage on Jareck West's solo home run in the second and added to the lead when Adam Eggemeyer scampered home on an error in the fifth. Lake Erie was able to respond to tie it in the sixth on a RBI-single by Travis Vetters, who was 3-for-4 with a triple and an RBI in the contest, and a sacrifice fly from Eddie Tisdale. Dom Duggan singled home the go-ahead run in the seventh to give the Crushers a 3-2 lead.

Gateway rallied against the bullpen in the eighth. After a walk and a hit-batter, Charlie Lisk singled to tie the game and West hit his second homerun of the game, a three-run shot off of Alberto Rolon, to give Gateway a 6-3 advantage.

The series concludes tomorrow at 5:05 pm as RHP Travis Risser (1-2, 3.68) takes to the hill for the Crushers against Gateway's LHP John Flanagan (2-0, 3.12). The contest will be aired live on AM 930 WEOL.

EXTRA SWINGS
- J.J. Pacella, signed before the game, and Cristobal Mata, both key relievers on the 2009 squad, made their season debuts with Pacella recording an out in the eighth and Mata tossing the ninth
- Dom Duggan recorded his 12th steal of the season in the bottom of the seventh
- Dom Duggan combined with Drew Saylor and Andrew Davis to throw out Jareck West at third in the sixth when he attempted to stretch a double into a triple.