Crushers Fall Just Short in Washington to End Season Series

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Crushers Fall Just Short in Washington to End Season Series

Washington, PA - July 23, 2026 - The Lake Erie Crushers (27-36) put up a hard fight against the Washington Wild Things (43-20) on Thursday night, but they ultimately fell 4-3 in a tight ballgame.

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For the first time in the series, Lake Erie failed to score in the 1st inning, but Wild Things’ 1B Andrew Czech hit an RBI double to drive in a 1st inning run for the third straight game, making it 1-0 Washington after the opening frame.

The Crushers stole a run in the 3rd when LF James Jett and DH Joe Redfield pulled off a double-steal of home. Redfield took off for second and drew the throw, then seeing the throw in front of him, Jett scampered home uncontested to tie the game at one. Then, CF Sebastian Alexander smoked an RBI triple into the right field gap to bring in Redfield, and Lake Erie led 2-1.

In the 4th, LF Wagner Lagrange, the longtime Wild Thing who was making his season debut, hit a mammoth two-run homer to flip the score and make it 3-2 Washington against Lake Erie’s RHP Fraynel Nova.

Nova settled down to strand a man in scoring position in the 5th, but Wagner Lagrange snuck an RBI single through the infield in the 6th to add to the Washington lead. It was 4-2 Wild Things going into the late innings. Fraynel Nova’s solid final line: 6 IP, 9 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 5 K on 93 pitches.

Down 4-2, the Crushers finally got back on the board in the top of the 8th on a two-out RBI knock by 2B Pavin Parks.

On the bump, RHP Jagger Duquette (with one of the most elite baseball names you’ll ever hear) made his Crushers debut and pitched two scoreless innings in relief, striking out C Isaias Quiroz to wiggle out of a jam in the bottom of the 8th to send the game to the 9th with Lake Erie trailing by a single tally.

RHP Mack Anglin came in to try and nail down his first save at any level, but he walked 1B Chayton Krauss on four pitches to start the frame. Then, RF Garret Pike launched a deep fly ball to right field that looked promising off the bat, but he just barely got under it, and it fell for a flyout. SS Jarrod Watkins made a bid for a big hit moments later, but his hard liner carried out to Liquori for out number two.

Jared Lemieux called on Samuel Benjamin to pinch hit, hoping for a bit of magic, but Anglin struck him out to end the game, and Washington took the series with their 4-3 win.

The Crushers split the season series with Washington 6-6, one of the best performances any team has made against the Frontier League’s best this season. However, with Florence’s win, the Crushers trail the final Wild Card spot by 6.5 games entering the long part of their 12-game road trip.

Drew Stegura got the win in his first professional start for Washington. Fraynel Nova, despite pitching well, was tagged with the loss. Mack Anglin secured the save.

The Crushers will take the 10 hour bus ride to the St. Louis metro area to take on the Gateway Grizzlies tomorrow, July 24th at 7:35pm ET. Catch every game of the road trip live on HomeTeam Network. Fun promotional nights are on tap when the Crushers come home, like Copa De La Diversion, Star Wars Night, and more! Tickets are available at LECrushers.com.

For information on season ticket memberships visit lecrushers.com or call (440) 934-3636, and be sure to follow our socials @LECrushers on Instagram/Facebook/X.

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About the Lake Erie Crushers

The Lake Erie Crushers are a professional baseball team based in Avon, Ohio, just 18 miles west of Cleveland at ForeFront Field. They compete in the Frontier League, a proud MLB Partner League, and have brought a family-friendly, fan-oriented baseball experience to Northeast Ohio since 2009. As Lorain County’s only professional sports franchise, the Lake Erie Crushers are the largest economic driver in Lorain County, hosting more than 200 events per year that include over 50 baseball games, concerts, charity functions, and other events that bring the community of Avon together. Len Komoroski is the Crushers Chairman and Managing Partner, and the team is led by President Vic Gregovits. Jared Lemieux, a Maine Baseball Hall of Fame inductee, is in his fourth season as field manager.