Crushers Win Streak Snapped at Five in Evansville

EVANSVILLE, Ind. - May 23, 2025 - The Lake Erie Crushers saw their five game winning streak come to an end on Friday night at Bosse Field in a 4-3 setback against the Evansville Otters.

The loss for the Crushers (9-3) was also their first away from home, snapping a five game road winning streak, while the victory for the Otters (6-7) gives them three in their last four games overall. 

In his Lake Erie Crushers debut, Enrique Saldana struck out a trio of batters in the bottom of the first inning, but not before Evansville fired the first shot. JT Benson belted a two out RBI single to score Alain Camou, giving the Otters the early advantage. 

The Otters plated another run with two outs in the bottom of the third. LJ Jones started the inning with a walk and advanced to second on Benson’s single. After Saldana induced a big double play, Jones scored on a wild pitch to put the Otters on top, 2-0. 

Lake Erie chipped away at the lead in the top of the fourth, as Scout Knotts began the inning by belting his second homer of the season to bring the Crushers back within a run (2-1). 

The Crushers created some havoc on the bases and tied the game in the top of the seventh. Kyle Huckstorf started the inning with a base hit and stole second base. Logan Thomason followed with a walk, and the Crushers executed a double steal. Huckstorf came around to score the tying run a few moments later on a wild pitch. 

Evansville regained the lead just a half inning later, and never looked back. The Otters scored on back-to-back RBI singles from Pavin Parks and Graham Brown to take a 4-2 lead. 

Lake Erie made things interesting over the final two frames. Knotts started the eighth inning with a single and came around to score on Seth Strong’s RBI double. Davie Morgan singled to put runners at the corners with nobody out, but the Crushers couldn’t cash in. After Zach Campbell grounded out to first, Huckstorf walked to load the bases, but Thomason grounded into an inning ending 6-4-3 double play to halt the threat. 

The Crushers had the tying run aboard in the ninth inning as well. Sam Franco began the inning with a base hit and advanced to second on Knotts’s base hit, his third knock of the night. However, Evansville’s closer, Nate Wohlgemuth (2) was able to get out of the jam by getting Strong to line out to second, ending the game. 

Evansville’s Nick McAuliffe (2-0) scored the victory, while Wolhgemuth picked up the save after working an adventurous ninth inning. Corbin Foy (0-1) took the loss for Lake Erie after allowing a pair of runs on two hits while fanning two batters over an inning and two-thirds. 

Knotts paced the Crushers offensively, going 3-for-3 on the night, marking his second multi-hit game of the road trip. Morgan also hit safely multiple times, going 2-for-4 and has now hit safely in each of his last four games. 

The Crushers will continue their series with the Otters at Bosse Field on Saturday night. Right-hander Anthony Escobar (2-0, 0.00) will get the start for the Crushers and the first pitch is scheduled for 7:35 PM ET. 

Lake Erie will next take the field in Avon on Tuesday, May 27th against the Washington Wild Things at 6:35pm. It’s $2 Tuesday presented by Sahlen’s and our first Silver Sluggers game of the season presented by Wellspring. Get your tickets 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 the Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati markets!

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Flexible 2025 Crushers ticket memberships are now on sale, giving fans the best experience on their terms and schedule. Plans start at $40 and include a priority selection of games, no ticket service fees, and the option of subscription-based payment plans. Fans can view more information at www.LakeErieCrushers.com.

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.