Crushers Shut Out Otters for 40th Win of 2025

Evansville, IN - July 31, 2025 - The Lake Erie Crushers (40-27) snagged their 40th win of the 2025 season Thursday night in a 4-0 shutout win against the Evansville Otters (24-45), their second straight shutout win at Bosse Field. The win puts them up three games in the Central Division heading into Washington tomorrow.

Both southpaws LHP Jack Eisenbarger and LHP Braden Scott were cruising through the first half of the ballgame. Strikeouts abounded and neither wanted to blink.

The Crushers got Scott to blink first, though. C Alfredo Gonzalez drew a rare walk against Scott in the 6th inning to set up a ripping RBI double from 1B Scout Knotts to break the ice and put Lake Erie on the board 1-0.

Scott pitched well, but Eisenbarger was spotless. He really had no threats against him in his seven innings of work, and he struck out Otters at will. His final line: 7 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 8 K.

The Crushers plated some extra insurance in the 8th with an RBI double from DH Derek Vegas, which drove in a pair. Vegas raked in the series and was a primary run producer. His 6 RBI in Lake Erie’s sweep led the offensive effort. 2B Davie Morgan added on his run later with an RBI single of his own.

Out of the bullpen it was business as usual for RHP Brandyn Sittinger. He came in for the 8th and pitched through the end of the game, striking out two in the 9th to secure the shutout win and extend the scoreless inning streak to 21 innings dating back to Tuesday night. Overall in the series, the Otters scored one run, a solo home run on Tuesday night by Graham Brown. Utter dominance from the Lake Erie staff.

Jack Eisenbarger (7-2) won the pitcher’s duel in a winning effort. Braden Scott (4-4) pitched seven innings in the loss.

Tomorrow, August 1st, the Crushers will begin their sprint to the playoffs with a road game against the Washington Wild Things at 7:05pm ET. Then the Crushers return home Saturday, August 2 for Cleveland vs. Pittsburgh Night at Crushers Stadium to back-end the home-and-home with the Wild Things. Tickets are online at lakeeriecrushers.com/tickets! 

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!

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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.

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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.