Crushers Stay Hot Offensively, Take Middle Game 7-2

Avon, OH- July 26, 2025 - The Lake Erie Crushers (35-27) continued their excellent offensive surge on Saturday night with a 7-2 win over the Mississippi Mud Monsters (32-32) on Cleveland Monsters Hockey Night at Crushers Stadium.

The first run of the night came in the bottom of the 3rd when CF Dario Gomez tucked a line drive just inside the right field line to score SS Jarrod Watkins from third.

Mississippi tied the game on a two-out, two-strike wild pitch in the 4th from RHP Dylan Spain. He struck out the batter at the plate on the next pitch. The game was knotted 1-1 after four frames.

The Crushers pounced back in the 5th off an unforced error. 1B Alfredo Gonzalez popped a ball up right over the mound. All four infielders converged on the mound, and all four infielders stared lovingly into each other’s eyes as the baseball fell untouched.

Moments later, DH Scout Knotts made them pay with a ripped RBI double into the right field corner. In the 6th, C Derek Vegas added on with an opposite-field solo home run. He trotted around the bases to the soundtrack of the Cleveland Monsters goal song and a chorus of cheers from the lively crowd.

A few batters later, Dario Gomez rang the song again with another solo home run, his second homer in three days. After six innings the Crushers led 5-1.

The Mud Monsters pushed across a run in the 7th on a seeing-eye RBI single by 3B Ryan Cash. The run marked the end of Dylan Spain’s outing, which was excellent as always. Spain’s final line: 7 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 6 K, QS. 

RF Sam Franco laced an RBI double into the left field corner to get the run right back in the home half of the 7th. Jarrod Watkins added on another one for good measure with an RBI single to push Lake Erie’s lead to 7-2. 

RHP Leonardo Rodriguez finished off the ballgame with two scoreless innings and five strikeouts, giving Lake Erie the 7-2 victory and a home series win.

Dylan Spain (6-2) got the win in his fifth quality start of the season. Mississippi’s Jeremy Peguero (0-2) was handed the loss in his first start of the season. Dario Gomez led the charge at the plate going 3-for-5 with 2 runs and 2 RBI.

The series concludes tomorrow at 1:05pm ET. Kids Eat Free, run the bases postgame, and can get autographs from their favorite Crushers after the game. And be sure to bring them early, because the first 1,000 fans in the ballpark will receive a Lake Erie Crushers Trading Card Set - the perfect thing for their favorite players to sign after the game! 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.