Crushers Fight Late, Fall Short in Mississippi

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Zane Bloom, zbloom@lecrushers.com

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Crushers Fight Late, Fall Short in Mississippi

Pearl, MS - June 26, 2026 - The Lake Erie Crushers (19-24) couldn’t quite mount the comeback against the Mississippi Mud Monsters (17-26) on Friday night in Pearl. They started to swing the momentum in their favor late, but leaked runs in the final frames to fall 11-4.

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For the first time in the series, neither team scored a 1st inning run, but the Mud Monsters got on the board first after mounting a two-out rally in the 2nd. Back-to-back two-out walks from RHP Fraynel Nova set up two infield singles, the second of which from SS Slater Schield was placed in an awkward spot deep down the first base line and brought two runs in. Then a wild pitch scored another run and Mississippi took a 3-0 lead.

In the 3rd, 3B Travis Holt popped the first homer of the series for Mississippi, extending their lead to 4-0 with the Crushers still looking to break through against LHP Tyler Campbell.

The Mud Monsters plated three more runs in the bottom of the 4th and took a 7-0 lead. Things were looking bleak for Lake Erie, but they showed signs of life in the top of the 6th.

1B Jacob Tobias, SS Jarrod Watkins, and RF James Jett all drove in runs in the inning to make it a ballgame again. It was 7-3 with runners on the corners for C Nick Chavez. Chavez smoked a one hop liner into the hole at second base that was meant for right field, but 2B Vantrell Reed made an unbelievable diving stop to rob Chavez of a hit and the Crushers of another run-producing hit. The Crushers settled for the three runs.

The Mud Monsters produced a run in the bottom of the 6th on a sacrifice fly, which increased the Crushers’ deficit back to five. Lake Erie punched back in the top of the 7th with an RBI knock from 3B Pavin Parks to make the score 8-4.

However, like on Tuesday night, the Mud Monsters continued to put runs on the board in the later innings. They scored one in the 7th and two in the 8th to go up 11-4, a score that would hold as final. A good fight in the late inning by Lake Erie, but the bullpen couldn’t hold the zeroes to promote the comeback.

Tyler Campbell (3-1) got the win after going six innings in a quality start. Fraynel Nova (1-6) dropped his sixth straight decision.

Lake Erie is back in action in Mississippi for game five of six against the Mud Monsters tomorrow, June 27th at 7:00pm ET. The Crushers will return to ForeFront Field on Tuesday, June 30th, to start a nine-game homestand. First pitch against the Joliet Slammers is slated for 6:30pm. 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.