Historic Night in Avon - Redfield Swipes 40th, Parks Ties Franchise Home Run Record in Win

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Historic Night in Avon - Redfield Swipes 40th, Parks Ties Franchise Home Run Record in Win


Avon, OH - August 22, 2026 - The Lake Erie Crushers (35-52) evened up the series against the Schaumburg Boomers (49-40) after their 6-1 win on Saturday night at ForeFront Field, and a pair of Crushers had historic milestones in the contest as well.


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LF Joe Redfield got things going after drawing a leadoff walk in the bottom of the 1st. He promptly stole second, stole third, then scored on a sacrifice fly from 3B Pavin Parks. With his two steals, Redfield became just the second player in Crushers franchise history to reach 40 stolen bases in a single season. He trails the franchise record by eight, which was set by Dom Duggan in 2010.


The Crushers opener RHP Chase Hopewell set down eight straight Boomers to start the game before surrendering a two-out walk in the 3rd, but he finished the inning and kept the Crushers ahead 1-0. Hopewell’s final line: 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K on 45 pitches. 


LHP Edwin Sanchez came in for the 4th inning in the piggyback. In the bottom of the 4th, CF Garret Pike put another run on the board with a two-out RBI single.


In the 6th, DH Kellum Clark continued his weekend tear with an RBI double to get the Boomers on the board against Sanchez. Clark’s single broke up the combined no-hitter to that point between Hopewell and Sanchez, but Sanchez induced an inning-ending double play to keep the Crushers in the lead, 2-1.


The Crushers got the run right back in the bottom of the inning, and it came in historic fashion. Pavin Parks blasted a moonshot over the right field wall for a solo home run. The blast was his 19th of the season, which tied the Crushers franchise single-season record (set by Gordie Gronkowski in the inaugural 2009 season). Parks sits one homer away from standing alone in Crushers history, but for Saturday night, he gave Lake Erie a 3-1 lead.

Sanchez finished off four innings of the piggyback giving up just the one run. His final line: 4 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K on 74 pitches.


RHP Alexander Castro entered in the top of the 8th and tossed a scoreless inning to set up the 9th inning for the closer.


Before that, though, the Crushers added three runs in the bottom of the 8th. One came in on a passed ball, but two more came in on a much more monstrous mash. 1B Brayden Jobert blasted his second Lake Erie homer in four games and put the Crushers up 6-1.


RHP Brandyn Sittinger closed the door in the 9th on the way to a 6-1 Lake Erie win on Saturday night at ForeFront Field.


Edwin Sanchez (7-6) got the win, and Boomers starter Buddie Pindel (9-3) was tagged with just his third loss of the season. Lake Erie held the dangerous Schaumburg lineup to just one run on three hits in the game.


The Crushers finish up the homestand tomorrow, August 23rd at 1:00pm. It’s a Sunday Family Fun Day at the ballpark! Kids 12 & under eat free, play catch on the field pregame, run the bases postgame, and get autographs from their favorite Crushers players after the game! Tickets are available at LECrushers.com.

Crushers 2027 season tickets are now on sale! For information on 2027 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.