Crushers Fight Late, Fall Short in Mississippi
FL Lake Erie Crushers

Crushers Fight Late, Fall Short in Mississippi

Published on June 26, 2026 under Frontier League (FL)
Lake Erie Crushers News Release


Lake Erie Crushers on game night
Lake Erie Crushers on game night
(Lake Erie Crushers)

Pearl, MS - The Lake Erie Crushers (19-24) couldn't quite mount the comeback against the Mississippi Mud Monsters (17-26) on Friday night in Pearl. They started to swing the momentum in their favor late, but leaked runs in the final frames to fall 11-4.

For the first time in the series, neither team scored a 1st inning run, but the Mud Monsters got on the board first after mounting a two-out rally in the 2nd. Back-to-back two-out walks from RHP Fraynel Nova set up two infield singles, the second of which from SS Slater Schield was placed in an awkward spot deep down the first base line and brought two runs in. Then a wild pitch scored another run and Mississippi took a 3-0 lead.

In the 3rd, 3B Travis Holt popped the first homer of the series for Mississippi, extending their lead to 4-0 with the Crushers still looking to break through against LHP Tyler Campbell.

The Mud Monsters plated three more runs in the bottom of the 4th and took a 7-0 lead. Things were looking bleak for Lake Erie, but they showed signs of life in the top of the 6th.

1B Jacob Tobias, SS Jarrod Watkins, and RF James Jett all drove in runs in the inning to make it a ballgame again. It was 7-3 with runners on the corners for C Nick Chavez. Chavez smoked a one hop liner into the hole at second base that was meant for right field, but 2B Vantrell Reed made an unbelievable diving stop to rob Chavez of a hit and the Crushers of another run-producing hit. The Crushers settled for the three runs.

The Mud Monsters produced a run in the bottom of the 6th on a sacrifice fly, which increased the Crushers' deficit back to five. Lake Erie punched back in the top of the 7th with an RBI knock from 3B Pavin Parks to make the score 8-4.

However, like on Tuesday night, the Mud Monsters continued to put runs on the board in the later innings. They scored one in the 7th and two in the 8th to go up 11-4, a score that would hold as final. A good fight in the late inning by Lake Erie, but the bullpen couldn't hold the zeroes to promote the comeback.

Tyler Campbell (3-1) got the win after going six innings in a quality start. Fraynel Nova (1-6) dropped his sixth straight decision.

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Lake Erie Crushers on game night
Lake Erie Crushers on game night
   



Frontier League Stories from June 26, 2026


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