Lake Erie Bats, Arms Combine for Series-Clinching Win

Pearl, MS - August 17, 2025 - The Lake Erie Crushers (49-33) played a sound baseball game on Sunday night against the Mississippi Mud Monsters (41-42) in a 9-1 series-clinching win. The Crushers’ magic number to clinch a playoff berth is four, and they now lead Washington in the Central Division by a full three games.

Both starting pitchers were on the ball early. LHP Jack Eisenbarger stranded two men in scoring position in the first, then pitched around some baserunners in the early innings to put up zeroes. The Crushers got on the board thanks to an RBI fielder’s choice off the bat of LF Burle Dixon in the 3rd.

Some walks to Mud Monsters’ leadoff man, CF Brayland Skinner, put the speedster on base early in the 3rd and 5th, but C Alfredo Gonzalez sniped him twice trying to steal, catching one of the Frontier League stolen base leaders in two different innings to keep him out of scoring position.

In the 7th, Lake Erie put across five runs on six hits. They kept the train moving with RBI knocks from Burle Dixon, 1B Scout Knotts, 2B Davie Morgan, and Alfredo Gonzalez, giving the Crushers a healthy 6-0 lead.

Eisenbarger pitched to one batter in the 7th before coming out of the game at 101 pitches. His scoreless six innings were much needed to end the week with the bullpen largely depleted. Eisenbarger’s final line: 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 5 BB, 6 K, QS.

RHP Juan Zapata tossed another two scoreless innings in relief, and the Crushers scored three more runs in the 8th and 9th to put the game away.

Mississippi got a pity run in the 9th to avoid the shutout, but the Crushers walked away with a 9-1 victory and the series win in their first trip to the South in franchise history.

Jack Eisenbarger’s (9-3) gem awarded him his ninth win, tying him with Anthony Escobar for the team lead. Mississippi’s Luis Devers (7-6) pitched well, but was handed the loss.

After a much needed off-day tomorrow, the Crushers will head back north to Crestwood, Illinois to open up a series with the Windy City ThunderBolts. Tuesday, August 19th’s game begins at 7:35pm ET. The team will return home to Avon on Friday, August 22nd. 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.