Middle Innings Sink Crushers Against Bird Dawgs

Avon, OH - August 26, 2025 - The Lake Erie Crushers (50-39) were snake-bitten by some middle-inning runs in Tuesday’s bout with the Down East Bird Dawgs (36-54). They fell 7-3 in the opening game of the final home series.

With Washington’s loss, Lake Erie remains one game up in the Central Division with five games left in the regular season. Their magic number to clinch a division title is four.

The Crushers took a 3rd inning lead on an RBI double from RF Sebastian Alexander, followed by an RBI single from 3B Kenen Irizarry. The 2-0 lead didn’t last long, though, as Down East plated three on a three-run homer from 3B Yeniel LaBoy in the top of the 4th.

Lake Erie responded by tying the game on an RBI groundout from C Derek Vegas in the home half of the 4th, knotting the game at three.

In the 5th, LHP Darrien Ragins surrendered a sacrifice fly to give up the lead, but had two outs with a chance to get out of the inning without any further damage. However, he walked back-to-back batters with his pitch count continuing to rise.

Skipper Jared Lemieux elected to leave Ragins out to face another batter, but it seemed to be one batter too late. RF Ali LaPread cleared the bases with a double, tagging Ragins for seven runs and giving Down East a 7-3 lead.

RHP Leonardo Rodriguez came in and shut down the Bird Dawgs bats, facing just one over the minimum in 2 ⅓ innings of relief. Both LHP Franklin Parra and RHP Juan Zapata pitched scoreless relief innings as well, but the Crushers offense couldn’t muster anything after scoring in the 4th inning as Lake Erie dropped the opener.

The Crushers have now lost a season-high five consecutive games. Down East starter RHP Danny Beal (4-4) pitched seven strong in the win. Darrien Ragins (6-6) was tagged with the loss.

The Crushers will take the field next on Wednesday, August 27th at 12:05pm for a very special Senior Sluggers Day! Get your tickets online at lakeeriecrushers.com/tickets!

Playoff ticket packages and single-game stubs are on sale now! Visit lakeeriecrushers.com to lock in your seats for the 2025 Frontier League Playoffs at Crushers Stadium!

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.