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Lake Erie Crushers
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Redfield Homers, Crushers Fall Short Against Boomers
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Zane Bloom, zbloom@lecrushers.com
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Redfield Homers, Crushers Fall Short Against Boomers
Avon, OH - August 21, 2026 - The Lake Erie Crushers (34-52) couldn’t quite find the big hit on Cleveland Cavaliers night on Friday at ForeFront Field. The Schaumburg Boomers (49-39) got some early runs and staved off Lake Erie for a 5-2 win to open the series.
In the top of the 1st, the Boomers got a two-out RBI double from LF Kellum Clark off RHP Fraynel Nova to crack onto the scoreboard first.
In the 2nd, Schaumburg loaded the bases with two outs, and Nova got 2B Chase Dawson to chop a ball towards first base. 1B Brayden Jobert went after it to cut it off, but Nova was a little tardy covering the bag. Dawson beat out the infield single, and Nova muffed the flip, which allowed a second run to score (unearned). Despite the good pitch, Nova was tagged with three runs through the first two innings.
Nova settled down in the next two frames to keep the score 4-0, but in the 5th a deep double to center field, once again from Kellum Clark, created some chaos with CF Garret Pike and RF Jeron Williams colliding in an effort to make the catch. On the play, 3B Anthony Calarco rumbled all the way around from first to score, and it was 4-0 Boomers.
The Crushers cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the inning, though. After a two-out, full-count walk to C Nick Chavez, LF Joe Redfield mashed a two-run homer to make it 4-2. Jeron Williams smoked a single immediately after, and while he stole second to get into scoring position, RHP Cole Zaffiro got the final out of the inning to keep the damage to just the homer.
In the 6th, LHP Kenny Pierson got a huge strikeout of Anthony Calarco to strand two runners. Pierson was fired up coming off the mound, wearing his Cleveland Cavs jersey, and he kept the deficit to just two going into the 7th.
With two outs against LHP Wesley Culley, C Alex Calarco fell behind 0-2. Cully overcooked a fastball, it ran inside, and it plunked Calarco to load the bases.
Culley couldn’t quite find the command against RF Christian Fedko. He walked on four pitches to force in a run, making it 5-2 Schaumburg.
In relief of Zaffiro, RHP Kyle Moore was nearly untouchable in the final three frames. He struck out four batters in three innings to finish off a three-inning save and secure the Friday night win for the Boomers, 5-2.
Cole Zaffiro (1-4) got the win, and, despite pitching decently, Fraynel Nova (2-9) was tagged with the loss. Kyle Moore (2) got just his second save, but it was his second three-inning save of 2026.
The Crushers continue their home series with the Boomers tomorrow, August 22nd at 7pm. The first 1,000 fans in the ballpark receive a free red wine Crushers hat courtesy of Lorain County Community College. Tickets are available at LECrushers.com.
Crushers 2027 season tickets are now on sale! For information on 2027 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.
