Watkins Hits Historic Grand Slam in Friday Night Defeat

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Zane Bloom, zbloom@lecrushers.com

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Watkins Hits Historic Grand Slam in Friday Night Defeat

Avon, OH - September 4, 2026 - The Lake Erie Crushers (40-59) were taken aback by the Joliet Slammers (42-58) on Friday night at ForeFront Field, but a big blast gave the large crowd a historic moment to cheer about for one of the greatest Grapes in franchise history.

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Walks plagued Crushers LHP Jack Eisenbarger early on. A 1st inning walk came around to score, then two more scored in the 2nd. Later in the inning DH Jackson Valera hit a two-run homer to cap off a five-run inning, and Joliet got out to an early 6-0.

The Crushers scrapped across a run with two outs in the 4th with an RBI single by SS Jarrod Watkins. He put Lake Erie on the board, trailing 6-1.

Eisenbarger continued to struggle with the command in the 5th, and the Slammers scored three runs off walks. Then, Valera struck again with a three-run homer to make it a seven-run inning. Joliet’s lead ballooned to 13-1.

While the outlook was grim in the game, the 8th inning provided a great moment of celebration.

On a 3-2 count with two outs and the bases loaded, Jarrod Watkins launched his patented pull-hook line drive, and this certain one sailed over the right field wall for a grand slam. With his blast, Watkins now sits alone in third place in Lake Erie Crushers franchise history for career home runs. His historic homer made it 13-5.

The Crushers got solid relief outings from RHP Ben Petschke and a perfect two innings from Pavin Parks. In the 9th, Chase Nixon lifted a sacrifice fly to make it 13-6, a score that would hold as final.

Tomorrow’s game begins at 7pm. Go to LakeErieCrushers.com/BOGO to get your tickets and find out all about the huge promotional weekend to finish off the 2026 season!

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.