Crushers Win 5th Straight as Brewer Nails Down Windy City Sweep

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FL Lake Erie Crushers

Crushers Win 5th Straight as Brewer Nails Down Windy City Sweep

May 22, 2025 - Frontier League (FL)
Lake Erie Crushers News Release


Crestwood, IL - The Lake Erie Crushers (9-2) broke out the brooms on Thursday morning, securing their fifth straight win in a tight 5-4 game over the Windy City Thunderbolts (3-10).

Like each of the first two games of the series, the Crushers got on the board first with a two-spot. DH Scout Knotts blasted the first pitch of the 2nd inning over the left field wall for his first homer of 2025. 3B Davie Morgan doubled two batters later and scored on a wild pitch from Bolts starter Bobby Vath, who gave up three runs in three innings.

RF Dakota Kotowski of Windy City doubled off the wall in center in the bottom of the 2nd to drive in a run, and so the seesaw battle began.

Up 2-1 going into the 3rd, LF Burle Dixon tripled and scored on a RF Sam Franco sacrifice fly to make it 3-1 Lake Erie. Then, Thunderbolts DH David Maberry singled in the bottom of the inning to get back the Bolts within a run again.

In the top of the 4th, SS Logan Thomason chopped an infield single that scored another Lake Erie run to make it 4-2, ending the seesaw battle for the time being.

However, Kotowski struck again in the bottom of the 6th for the Thunderbolts, walloping his fourth homer of the season and second of the series over the center field fence to pull Windy City back within a run.

Despite the blast in the final inning, RHP Brandyn Sittinger came out of the outing with a quality start, his second with Lake Erie. His final line: 6 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 4 BB, 7 Ks.

The Thunderbolts gave their run right back in the 7th, though, as 3B Garrett Broussard booted a routine ground ball to allow Burle Dixon to reach. Dixon would score on a 1B Seth Strong RBI single to make it 5-3 Crushers, which would hold until the 9th.

RHP Michael Brewer came in looking for his third straight save in as many opportunities, but he hit a snag early on with the first two Windy City hitters reaching base. Then, a throwing error by catcher Derek Vegas allowed a run to score and the tying run, Winder Diaz, to advance to second base.

After Diaz tagged up on a flyout, he stood at third base with less than two outs representing the tying run. Up came Garrett Broussard with one out, owing Windy City a tally. He lifted a fly ball to Sam Franco in right field who charged in to make the catch. He fired strong to the plate and his throw caused Diaz to put on the brakes and stay put at third.

Then, David Maberry on a two-strike pitch from Brewer, flew out to Franco to end the game with the Crushers miraculously stranding the tying run at third.

Brandyn Sittinger (2-0) picked up his second Crushers win, both coming on the road in 2025. Michael Brewer (3), still sporting his spotless 0.00 ERA in six appearances, logged the save.

The Crushers will ship off to Evansville for a date with the Otters for the first time in 2025. Friday and Saturday's games (May 23-24) will be at 7:35pm EDT start times and Sunday's first pitch will be delivered at 1:35pm EDT.

Lake Erie will next take the field in Avon on Tuesday, May 27th against the Washington Wild Things at 6:35pm. It's $2 Tuesday presented by Sahlen's and our first Silver Sluggers game of the season presented by Wellspring. Get your tickets online at lakeeriecrushers.com/tickets.

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!

Check out the Lake Erie Crushers Statistics



Frontier League Stories from May 22, 2025


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