Red, White, and Broom: Crushers Slam Door on Sweep

Avon, OH - July 3, 2025 - The Lake Erie Crushers (24-21) slammed the door on a three-game home sweep of the Joliet Slammers (24-24) with a 3-1 win in front of a sold out Crushers Stadium for Red, White, and Boom!

For the third straight day, Lake Erie got on the board in the bottom of the 1st. 2B Davie Morgan powered an RBI double down the left field line to put the Crushers up 1-0 in the opening frame.

After LHP Darrien Ragins stranded a leadoff double in the 2nd, the Crushers punched another run across on a two-out single by CF Dario Gomez, scoring DH Vincent Byrd Jr. from second base. C Alfredo Gonzalez cashed in Gomez with an RBI single of his own. Though Lake Erie didn’t lead 3-0 after one, they led 3-0 after two. 

The Slammers put across their first and only run in the 5th on an RBI knock by LF Liam McArthur. It came after a double from CF Chris Davis, Joliet’s third double in five innings. Despite the traffic in scoring position, Ragins continued to toss up zeroes.

In the 6th, the Slammers put men on first and second to start the inning, then Ragins took matters into his own hands. On a seemingly perfect bunt, Ragins fielded and glove flipped to third to get the lead runner. Then, Dario Gomez threw an absolute seed to gun down a runner at the plate. 

Ragins loves the theatrics, and he played showman on Thursday night. His final line: 6 IP, 8 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, QS. 

RHP Brandyn Sittinger came in to relieve Ragins in the 7th and struck out the side in his first inning of work. He mopped up the Slammers in the 8th, then handed the ball to RHP Michael Brewer for the 9th. Brewer set down Joliet 1-2-3 in the 9th and slammed the door on a Crushers sweep. 

Darrien Ragins (3-2) got the win in a gutsy quality start, and Joliet’s Zac Westcott (2-3) was pinned for the loss despite a quality start of his own. Michael Brewer (7) tied Joliet’s Grayson Linderman for most saves in the Midwest Conference.

The Crushers will hit the road to the St. Louis area to take on the Gateway Grizzlies in a weekend series starting tomorrow at 8:05pm ET. The team will return home this coming Tuesday, July 8th at 7:05pm against the Schaumburg Boomers. Get tickets online at lakeeriecrushers.com!

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 the Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati markets!

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Flexible 2025 Crushers ticket memberships are now on sale, giving fans the best experience on their terms and schedule. Plans start at $40 and include a priority selection of games, no ticket service fees, and the option of subscription-based payment plans. Fans can view more information at www.LakeErieCrushers.com.

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.