By Chris Byrnes, Embrach Mustangs
The Embrach Mustangs swept the Zurich Lions at home on Saturday winning the first game by the score of 15-1 and 10-5 in the nightcap. The Mustangs move to 7-4 on the season and the Lions drop to 0-8.
In game one, the Mustangs scored five runs off Lions pitcher Gilbert Codero Cruz who struggled to find the plate in the first inning. Codero Cruz walked four batters and gave up a long double to Tommy Fasching. The Mustangs scored two more runs in the second inning on hits by Josh Crouse, Tommy Fasching and Jason Bracko to put the game out of reach early.
The Lions could not reach Mustang Pitcher Roger Savoldelli who pitched 7 strong innings giving up only one run on three hits while striking out five. The Lions broke up the shutout in the top of the sixth with two outs Nic Lawson was hit by pitch and Santos Holquin hit a long double to score Lawson. Savoldelli earns his second win of the season and lowers his era to 3.15.
Offensively the Mustangs were led by Tommy Fasching with three hits and four rbi’s, Christian Klarer who had two hits and three rbi’s and Josh Crouse with two hits.
Game two was a much closer battle then the score indicates. The Lions had Markus Streicher on the mound and the Mustangs went with their young gun Elliot Berger. The Lions scored first when Berger walked Andreas Inauen who moved to second on a passed ball and scored on a fielder’s choice. The Mustangs evened the score when their bus driver Josh Crouse hit a double and came around to score on an error. Crouse leads the league in doubles.
In the second inning Berger could not find his control and walked the bases loaded and then had to leave the game with a cut on his finger. The Mustangs then brought in Chris Byrnes to pitch. Byrnes was able to get out of the jam allowing only one run to score and the Lions took the lead 2-1.
The Mustangs finally erupted for four runs in the bottom third inning when Harry Wischnewski and Josh Crouse walked and Tim Jones cracked a double scoring two runs. Jones came around to score on a error and Chris Byrnes hit a two out line drive single to right center to score Christian Klarer to make the score 5-2. The score stayed that was until the top of the fifth inning when the Lions were able to score two unearned runs making it a 5-4 game. Byrnes kept the Lions bats quiet through six innings and then Tim Jones came in to close out the game pitching the last three innings and striking out eight. The Mustangs broke the game open in bottom of the 8th scoring five runs on hits by Roger Savoldelli, Harry Wischnewski, Josh Crouse and a double by Christian Klarer.
Chris Byrnes picked up the win pitching 4.2 innings striking out four and allowing no earned runs. Tim Jones collected his second save on the year and lowered his era to 3.10 on the year. Jones leads the league in strikeouts and saves. Markus Steicher takes the loss pitching four innings and allowing only four hits and one earned run.