Watkins Homers, Escobar Goes Seven Scoreless in 4-0 Win

Avon, OH - June 28, 2025 - The Lake Erie Crushers (21-20) stifled the Gateway Grizzlies on Saturday night in a 4-0 shutout win to get back to over .500. Anthony Escobar was excellent once again as the Crushers evened the series.

SS Jarrod Watkins got the party started with a solo blast hooked down the right field line for his first homer of 2025. He was robbed of a home run on Thursday night, but he made sure nobody was catching this one. 

Lake Erie put up a three-spot in the 4th thanks to an RBI single by RF Jordan Harrison-Dudley, a long RBI single off the right field wall by 3B Jaidan Quinn, and a sacrifice fly by Jarrod Watkins. All nine Crushers hitters came to the plate in the inning. After four frames the Crushers led 4-0.

Meanwhile, RHP Anthony Escobar was absolutely dominant against the Grizzlies lineup. He looked every bit of his normal self on Saturday. He plowed through the Gateway lineup through seven scoreless innings. Dating back to 2024, Escobar has pitched 20 scoreless innings against the Gateway Grizzlies. His final line on Saturday: 7 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K.

In relief the Crushers got scoreless innings out of RHP Brandyn Sittinger and RHP Michael Brewer to complete the shutout effort and even the series.

Anthony Escobar (6-1) was exceptional in a winning effort. Gateway starter Zac Treece (2-2) was tagged with the loss, giving up all four runs in his four innings of work.

The series concludes with the Grizzlies tomorrow, June 29th at 1:05pm ET. It’s another Sunday Fun Day where kids eat free and can run the bases after the game! 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.