Crushers Suffer Gut-Wrenching Game Two Loss
Published on September 5, 2025 under Frontier League (FL)
Lake Erie Crushers News Release
Schaumburg, IL - September 5, 2025 - The Lake Erie Crushers (52-42) season came to a gut-wrenching end on Friday night in Game 2 of the Midwest Conference Wild Card Round against the Schaumburg Boomers (58-38), succumbing to a walk-off 5-3 loss.
The Crushers have officially been eliminated from the 2025 Frontier League Playoffs.
Lake Erie stormed out to an early lead, something they needed to do to have a chance in Game 2. DH Sam Franco smacked an RBI single in the opening frame with two outs and two strikes.
Then in the 2nd, LF Burle Dixon mustered another two-out, two-strike RBI single to cash in a leadoff double from 2B Davie Morgan. Lake Erie led 2-0 after two frames.
RHP Dylan Spain came out and shoved through the early innings. He danced around runners in scoring position and then struck out C Alex Calarco with the bases loaded to end the 4th. The Crushers were in need of a big starting pitching performance and got just that from their starter.
The Crushers were gifted a baserunner in the 5th, then they manufactured their third run of the game with a sacrifice bunt and eventual sacrifice fly from CF Dario Gomez to put Lake Erie up 3-0.
The Boomers bats were quiet, but they finally woke up in the 5th with back-to-back doubles from SS Alec Craig and RF Christian Fedko to get on the board. Then, DH Anthony Calarco lofted a sacrifice fly to get the Boomers within a run. Spain got out of the inning with the 3-2 lead still intact. Spain's final line: 5 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K.
RHP Brandyn Sittinger came on in the 6th and got a huge lift from Super Dario [Gomez], who went headlong diving with two outs and two runners in scoring position to rob the Boomers of two runs, saving the game for the time being.
Sittinger allowed men on first and second in the 7th, but came back to get three straight outs in the middle of the Schaumburg order, striking out LF Aaron Simmons to get out of the inning unscathed.
Meanwhile, the Schaumburg bullpen did a nice job of limiting Lake Erie's chances at the plate. The 3-2 score moved to the bottom of the 9th with Sittinger going three scoreless innings.
RHP Michael Brewer got out number one, then plunked Christian Fedko to put the tying man aboard. Michael Gould came in to pinch run for Fedko and was off on the pitch that 3B Chase Dawson grounded out three-unassisted for the second out of the inning.
Two outs, tying run at second. The matchup: Michael Brewer vs. Frontier League MVP, Anthony Calarco. Brewer got out ahead early, but Calarco worked a full count, fouling off quality pitches to stay alive.
On the eighth pitch of the at-bat, Brewer jammed Calarco, but the big man muscled the blooper just beyond SS Jarrod Watkins, who gave a valiant Jim Edmonds dive into shallow left center field.
Unfortunately for Lake Erie, the ball glanced off the top of Watkins' glove, and Calarco was able to tie the game with his RBI single.
With the game now 3-3, 2B Nick Podkul came up and launched a 1-0 pitch over the left field wall for a walk-off two-run homer to send the Schaumburg Boomers to the Midwest Conference Divisional Round.
The final: 5-3 Boomers, winning Game 2 and the series.
Lake Erie's season came to a crushing end at Wintrust Field on a chill Friday night in September.
Frontier League Stories from September 5, 2025
- Grizzlies Sweep Washington, Advance to Midwest Finals - Gateway Grizzlies
- Crushers Suffer Gut-Wrenching Game Two Loss - Lake Erie Crushers
- Boomers Walk-off to Wild Card Series Win - Schaumburg Boomers
- Wild Things Drop Game 2, Season Comes to Close - Washington Wild Things
- Boulders Season Ends in Heartbreak - New York Boulders
- Oktoberfest by Day, MonstoBEERfest by Night: Trustmark Park Becomes Pearl's Fall Party Hub on October 11 - Mississippi Mud Monsters
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