The Humboldt Crabs swept the Steelheads in a mid-week doubleheader Wednesday, setting themselves up nicely for the season's home stretch.
With just a handful of games remaining on the schedule, the Crabs won 5-0 and 2-1, giving them three wins in three matchups with their cross-county rivals this summer.
In game one, Tommy Gale pitched six strong innings for the win to improve to 3-0 on the season, allowing just four hits while striking out four. s Jeff Johnson provided much of the punch at the plate, finishing 2-for-3 with three RBIs, while Garrett Yrigoyen went 2-for-3 with an RBI.
In the nightcap, the Steelheads trailed 1-0 before tying things up in the top of the fifth, but the Crabs answered immediately in the bottom half of the inning when Breland Almadova scored from third on a David Popkins sacrifice fly. Alex Capaul (4-1) pitched six strong innings for the win.
Greg Fisher pitched five strong innings in the loss, while teammate Jimmy Smith finished with a pair of hits for the Steelies.
With the sweep, the Crabs improved to 36-9 on the season. The Crabs will play the Nevada Bighorns in a weekend series beginning Friday, before hosting the WCL Tri-State League playoffs next week. The Crabs then close out the season against the Steelheads on Aug. 8.