Parra Becomes Youngest Crushers Opening Day Starter, Lake Erie Usurped by Late Boomers Homer​

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Parra Becomes Youngest Crushers Opening Day Starter, Lake Erie Usurped by Late Boomers Homer

Avon, OH - May 8, 2026 - The Lake Erie Crushers (0-1) succumbed to a late Schaumburg Boomers (1-0) home run, falling on Opening Day by a final score of 5-4 at the first regular season game at ForeFront Field.

Both starting pitchers got into the habit of stranding runners on base early on in the ballgame. 

Crushers LHP Andres Parra got the help of an early double play to get out of the first inning, then struck out 1B Kyle Fitzgerald to get out of a jam.

It took until the bottom of the 4th for the first runs of the 2026 season to come across home plate, and they came with a flourish. Former New Jersey Jackals All-Star 2B Luis Acevedo introduced himself to the Avon faithful with a three-run home run to put the Crushers on the board against Boomers RHP Buddie Pindel.

Tonight, Andres Parra became the youngest Opening Day starter in Crushers history at just 21 years and 50 days old. His youth would have fooled many considering his final statline: 5 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 5 K on 78 pitches. 

The lethal Schaumburg lineup of yesteryear, largely the same in 2026, was held quiet through six innings, but a lazy fly ball from SS Alec Craig dumped into centerfield for an RBI single to get the Boomers on the board.

In the top of the 8th with the score 3-1 in Lake Erie’s favor, the Boomers put men on second and third with two outs against RHP Randy Berigüete. After a brief mound visit, Schaumburg LF Cole Turney put a charge into a ball to left field that caught the windy Avon air and sailed over the fence for a three-run, go-ahead homer.

Then, in the top of the 9th, Boomers RF Kellum Clark added on a huge insurance run with an RBI single to extend the Schaumburg lead to 5-3.

With a great crowd on hand on a wet Opening Day evening, the Crushers didn’t go quietly. Lake Erie 1B Jacob Tobias led off the inning with a walk against RHP Tanner Shears. Then, Luis Acevedo struck again with a perfectly placed liner down the line and into the left field corner. As the ball rattled around, Crushers 3B Coach Mark Mason put the windmill on for Tobias, and he scored just ahead of the relay to put the game within a run.

Then, with 3B Pavin Parks at the plate, Shears delivered a breaking ball that eluded C Alex Calarco, allowing Acevedo to move to third base with nobody out in the inning, representing the tying run.

Shears battled back in the count against Parks and got him to chase strike three for the first out. Then, a soft fister off the bat of LF Sebastian Alexander looked to be a promising bloop with the infield drawn in, but 2B Christian Fedko back-tracked just enough to secure out number two.

With the game at the plate, CF Joe Redfield, who was 3-for-4 on the day, socked a deep fly ball to the opposite field, but Turney, the catalyst for the comeback secured the final out to secure a 5-4 final and an Opening Day comeback win for the Schaumburg Boomers

Boomers reliever RHP Kyle Moore (1-0) got the win, RHP Randy Berigüete (0-1) got the loss, and RHP Tanner Shears (1) escaped a rough situation to lock down the Boomers win and the save.

Crushers Top Performers:

• Andres Parra: 5 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 5 K

• Luis Acevedo: 2-for-4, 2B, HR, 4 RBI, R

• Joe Redfield: 3-for-5

The Crushers are back in action with a carbon copy of Opening Day for game two of the 2026 regular season on Saturday, May 9th at 7pm at ForeFront Field. Tickets are available at LECrushers.com. It’s another Dollar Dog Night with a Postgame Fireworks show! And if you can’t make it to the game, be sure to use promo code “LEEARLYBIRD2026” to get 20% off your HomeTeam Network subscription, the official broadcast network of the Frontier League and the Lake Erie Crushers. The deal ends Sunday, so don’t wait!

Single-game tickets are on sale now! Pick your games and buy your tickets, starting at just $8, at lecrushers.com/2026-schedule. Or, just pick all the games with the brand-new Ballpark Pass. Information at lecrushers.com/lec-ballpark-pass - every Crushers home game, just $99.

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.