Crushers Sweep Otters, Match 2023 Win Total Before All-Star Break

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FL Lake Erie Crushers

Crushers Sweep Otters, Match 2023 Win Total Before All-Star Break

July 14, 2024 - Frontier League (FL)
Lake Erie Crushers News Release


Avon, OH - Sunday's game between the Lake Erie Crushers (37-20) and the Evansville Otters (21-36) was one of historic proportions. The Crushers completed their fourth home sweep of the season to improve to 21-6 at home. The 8-5 win was their 37th of the season, which matches their 2023 win total...and it comes before an All-Star break that will see eight Crushers with honors at the game in Quebec City.

The Crushers remain 1.5 games behind Washington for first place in the Frontier League West heading into the break.

The wind was blowing out at Crushers Stadium on Sunday, and Lake Erie took full advantage of it in the 2nd. LF Ronald Washington led off the inning with a bomb over the left field berm to get the scoring started. Then 3B Michel Triana squared up a 2-2 pitch and clanked it off the batter's eye in center field for a two-run homer to put Lake Erie up 3-0.

Seeing the crooked number, Evansville looked to respond quickly in the 3rd. After loading the bases with a double and some free passes, LHP Darrien Ragins walked in a run. With two outs and two men on, 1B Dakota Phillips launched his fifth home run in 11 games to put the Otters up 5-3. The five run frame was the most runs scored off Ragins in any outing this season.

The Crushers gave the Otters a taste of their own medicine in the bottom half of the inning with Burle Dixon drawing a bases loaded walk to put the Crushers within one. However, Evansville's RHP Ryan Wiltse was able to escape the bases loaded jam with the lead still in hand.

Ragins settled in nicely after the 3rd inning. He tossed two scoreless innings to finish his day, and he got some help in the meantime from his offense.

In the 4th, SS Jarrod Watkins walked to lead off the inning. He came around to score on a RF Jack Harris RBI double, tying the game at five. Moments later DH Vincent Byrd Jr. struck for his second homer in as many games to put Lake Erie up 7-5. Byrd's moonshot was his 12th of the year, putting him tied for third in the Frontier League in homers.

The Crushers would push across another run in the inning with a sacrifice fly by Burle Dixon. Lake Erie led 8-5 after the fourth inning.

From there, both pitching staffs held the offenses in check until the 8th inning. RHP Sammy Tavarez came in for his standard setup role having not given up a run in over a month. Tavarez had some shaky control as he gave up a double flanked by two hit-by-pitches. With the bases loaded and one out, Tavarez got a first pitch popup to first base for the second out, then sealed the deal by inducing a groundout to end the inning. Tavarez was fired up after stranding the bases loaded in the 8th.

In the 9th, the all-star closer RHP Trevor Kuncl came on looking for his Frontier League leading 15th save. After getting the first two men to fly out, Kuncl struck out Dakota Phillips to end the game and give the Crushers their 37th win of the season.

Darrien Ragins (7-0) remains undefeated this season and gets the win for going five innings in his 10th start.

Jared Lemieux made some comments after the game regarding the team matching their win total from 2023 before the All-Star break:

"Coming into work was a grind last year. It was hard. This year I've enjoyed doing what I'm doing, and I have a great staff with Jerry [Gonzalez] and Alby [Jonathan Albaladejo]. They make things easy for me. I'm excited to go home to Quebec City. My wife and I live five minutes from the stadium there. It'll be a special week. I'm looking forward to soaking it all in and enjoying it."

Final 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E

Evansville Otters 0 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 8 1

Lake Erie Crushers 0 3 1 4 0 0 0 0 X 8 7 0

The Crushers have eight all-star selections for 2024, and six will be representing Lake Erie in Quebec City on Wednesday.

After that the Crushers return home for a three game series against the Florence Y'alls starting on Friday, July 19 at 7:05pm EST. It's "Strike Out the Stigma Night" with 90s fireworks and an emphasis on mental health awareness. Then on Saturday it's Christmas in July! Bundle up in your favorite Christmas pajamas (as long as it isn't 100 degrees) and enjoy a fun night of baseball with fireworks after the game. And lastly on Sunday at 2:05pm, it's Fairytale Day presented by MainEvent with appearances from all your favorite fairytale characters. Get your tickets soon!

Can't join us at the ballpark? No worries! You can stream the Lake Erie Crushers all season long at FloSports.tv.

Frontier League Standings: https://frontierleague.com/sports/bsb/2023-24/overall-standings

Check out the Lake Erie Crushers Statistics

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Frontier League Stories from July 14, 2024


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