Miners Get to Garbrick in Sixth, Beat Crushers 7-4

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Miners Get to Garbrick in Sixth, Beat Crushers 7-4

Augusta, NJ - August 1, 2026 - The Lake Erie Crushers (29-42) succumbed to one bad inning on Saturday night against the Sussex County Miners (34-36) in a 7-4 loss at Skylands Stadium.

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Lake Erie drew first blood in the top of the 2nd, and it started with a two-out double by 3B Chayton Krauss. It was his fourth hit in four at-bats in the series and his third double against the Miners in two games. SS Jarrod Watkins brought him home a pitch later and made it 1-0 Crushers.

The Miners smacked back with a two-RBI double from 3B Dean Ferrara in the 2nd, flipping the score in favor of Sussex County, 2-1.

Both starting pitchers found their groove in the middle innings. RHP Alex Garbrick for Lake Erie retired 10 out of 11 hitters since the run in the 2nd. RHP Jacob Casson was on his high horse wheeling and dealing as well.

The Crushers got an RBI double from DH Pavin Parks, who tucked a line drive just inside the first base bag, which tied the game 2-2 in the 6th. 

However, the Miners finally got to Garbrick in the bottom of the inning. They responded by putting the first five batters of the inning on base against him, and he was pulled after five runs scored for Sussex County. They opened up a 7-2 lead.

Lake Erie didn’t go quietly, though. 2B Luis Acevedo laced an RBI double, then he scored on an RBI single from CF Garret Pike. The two 7th inning runs made the score 7-4, and the bullpen held up for the Crushers. RHP Adam Brouwer and LHP Kenny Pierson combined for three scoreless innings of relief, and they forced a save situation in the top of the 9th.

In the inning, RF James Jett led off with a four-pitch walk against RHP John Perozzi, then Samuel Benjamin pinch hit and singled to bring Pavin Parks to the plate, representing the tying run. Parks, however, struck out to end the game against Perozzi, and the Miners walked away with the 7-4 victory and the series win at Skylands Stadium.

The mammoth 12-game road trip ends tomorrow at 1:35pm between the Crushers and Miners, and you can catch the action live on HomeTeam Network. Fun promotional nights are on tap when the Crushers come home, like Copa De La Diversion on August 7th, Star Wars Night on August 8th, and so many more! Tickets are available at LECrushers.com.

For information on 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.