Crushers Can’t Find Big Swing in 3-2 Loss to Joliet

Avon, OH - August 29, 2025 - The Lake Erie Crushers (52-40) couldn’t find any traction offensively against the Joliet Slammers (42-52) on Friday night. They fell 3-2 and are now tied with Washington for first place in the Central Division. 

Joliet pushed across a run in the 1st on an RBI single from SS Braylin Marine on a ball just inside the third base line. Their next two runs came in the 4th on an RBI knock from 1B Ernny Ordonez and a sacrifice fly from C Brandon Heidal.

The runs came against RHP Anthony Escobar, who really needed to grind through six innings. Despite throwing over 30 pitches in the 1st inning, Escobar scratched and clawed his way to a quality start, going 6 innings striking out eight Slammers. His final line: 6 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 8 K.

The Crushers’ bats were fairly quiet in the game until they finally broke out against LHP Aidan McEvoy in the 6th. With two outs in a 3-2 count, C Derek Vegas blitzed a McEvoy fastball for a two-run homer to put the Crushers within a run.

RHP Juan Zapata relieved Escobar and pitched his way out of a bases-loaded jam in the 8th. He pitched two scoreless innings to give the Crushers a chance in the 9th.

Unfortunately, RHP Greyson Linderman had his “A” stuff, sitting down the Crusher 1-2-3 to finish the game and hand Lake Erie the 3-2 loss.

Aidan McEvoy (6-4) got the win having given up just the two-run homer in 5 ⅔ innings. Anthony Escobar (9-6) was tagged with the loss despite the quality start. Greyson Linderman (16) now sits alone for the most saves in the Frontier League.

First pitch tomorrow, Saturday, August 30th is scheduled for 7:00pm ET against the Slammers.

Playoff ticket packages are available at https://www.lakeeriecrushers.com/playoff-central OR you can CLICK HERE to lock in your seats for the entirety of the 2025 Playoff Home Schedule for just $27.

Can’t join us at the ballpark? You can stream Crushers games home and away in 2025 on the brand new Frontier League streaming partner, HomeTeam Network or watch live on local television on Rock Entertainment Sports Network (RESN) in Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati markets!

____________________________________________________________________________

Whether it’s a birthday celebration, youth sports night, corporate event, or family reunion, group outings with the Crushers offer great fan experiences and benefits, including reserved seating and special perks. Visit www.LakeErieCrushers.com/groups or call (440) 934-3636 for more information.

XXX

About the Lake Erie Crushers

The Lake Erie Crushers are a professional baseball team that plays just 18 miles outside Cleveland at the 5,000 seat Crushers Stadium in Avon, Ohio. They compete in the Frontier League - a prestigious MLB Partner League. Since its founding in 2009, the Crushers have been dedicated to delivering exciting baseball and family-friendly entertainment to fans in Northeast Ohio.