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FL Lake Erie Crushers

Lake Erie Crushers First Half Review

July 19, 2024 - Frontier League (FL)
Lake Erie Crushers News Release


Avon, OH - Baseball is a special game. It's unlike any other major sport. During the 4 o'clock slot on a random Sunday in November, a heavily favored NFL frontrunner seldom falls to a bottom-feeder looking to increase their draft stock. But baseball is not like that. Any game can be defined by a pitching performance, diving catch, or one big swing...and any of those can come from anybody.

That's been the story of the Lake Erie Crushers in 2024.

In 2023 the Crushers finished just 37-59 in what would be their worst season in franchise history. With a first-year manager and a very young team, this outcome was, perhaps, anticipated. But what wasn't anticipated was the resurgence we've witnessed in 2024. As the Crushers completed their sweep of the Evansville Otters on July 14, they matched their win total of 2023...before the All-Star Break.

Lake Erie finished the first half at 37-20 with a 21-6 home record. Coming into Crushers Stadium has been a death wish for visiting teams, and the Crushers have defended Avon with four home sweeps already this season.

The year began with a nine game homestand to start the season. After dropping the season opener to the Gateway Grizzlies, the Crushers won the next two and secured their first series win against a team with high expectations. The buzz from the Grizzlies was shock. How could a Lake Erie team with so little experience win a series against the reigning West Division champions? Baseball. That's why.

The Crushers didn't stop there. The Grapes rattled off three straight wins to sweep the Joliet Slammers after the Gateway series. Five in a row. But now the attention turned to the defending Frontier League champions, the Québec Capitales.

On a Friday night in Avon, the two teams were knotted at two going into the bottom of the 9th. It took just one swing from Alfredo Gonzalez to end it. A solo homer on the first pitch of the inning sent the fans home happy and gave Lake Erie their sixth straight win.

Two days later, the Crushers did it again. Vincent Byrd Jr. broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the 9th with his own walk-off home run. This completed the series win and a 7-2 homestand to start the season.

The season couldn't have started any better for Jared Lemieux's squad.

Fast forward to June 8th. The Crushers had won their previous three games having given up only five runs. Jack Eisenbarger took the mound for a Saturday game at Crushers Stadium. By the 6th inning fans began to notice what was going on. There was still a zero in the "hits" column for the visiting Trois-Rivieres Aigles. About an hour later, Eisenbarger rolled a ground ball to third base to finish the first no-hitter in Crushers history.

This was the day that the league was put on notice. Lake Erie just no-hit one of the better offenses in the Frontier League and had shut them out in back-to-back days. The Crushers' pitching staff was elite.

Jack Eisenbarger was in the midst of the best statistical pitchers in the league. Anthony Escobar was having an underrated season. Darrien Ragins was unbeaten since coming back from injury. And the bullpen...that insane bullpen. Trevor Kuncl was converting save opportunities like clockwork. Christian Scafidi, Cal Carver, and Kenny Pierson had given up four runs combined all season long. Sammy Tavarez was striking out hitters at an astounding rate. Opposing teams were finding it impossible to come back once the Crushers handed over a lead to the bullpen.

As of July 17, the Crushers lead the Frontier League in team ERA (3.24) and are 2nd in Team WHIP (1.30). The Crushers simply aren't giving up runs. Meanwhile, they're getting help on the offensive side from every hitter on the roster.

The aforementioned Vincent Byrd Jr. started the year fresh off an achilles injury from 2023. In just 10 games with the Crushers in 2023, Byrd was one of the best hitters on a light hitting team. He is now tied for 3rd in the league in home runs and seems to have a flair for the dramatic, especially at home.

Alfredo Gonzalez was also in the mix for most home runs in the Frontier League, and his slugging percentage was well over .500. Gonzalez stepped away from the team following a team sweep of the Windy City Thunderbolts on July 4th. In doing so, the catching responsibilities turned over to Crushers veteran John Tuccillo.

Tuccillo was already starting to get hot at the plate, but since taking over the primary catching role, he has been one of the most consistent hitters on the team. Tuccillo led the team in batting average for a few weeks in early July, and he was given the honors to replace Alfredo Gonzalez at the All-Star Game in Quebec City.

On the left side of the diamond you'll find two Gold Glove caliber infielders: Lake Erie veteran Jarrod Watkins and first year professional Logan Thomason. The five-six hole is the Bermuda Triangle for base hits - if you hit it in there, it's not coming back. Watkins and Thomason have made magic on the defensive side of the ball this season, but the two have also made a lethal one-two punch at the top of the Lake Erie order. Watkins has led off to the tune of a .284 batting average, and Thomason has been given the title "Mr. XBH" by the broadcast booth for his tendency to have nearly more extra base hits than singles. The veteran-rookie tandem has been fun to watch all season long both in the field and at the plate.

One word comes to mind when it comes to Crushers baseball: grit. A home series against the first place Washington Wild Things put this word on full display. In the first two games, Washington scored a first inning run. In both games Lake Erie proceeded to not give up another run and win. On June 30 the Crushers were in first place in the West Division standings. Their time at the top was only for a few days, but the point is that they had made a reversal. From being dead last in 2023, the Crushers were heading into July with first place well within their reach.

The Crushers logged their 37th win on July 14 against the Evansville Otters, matching their 2023 win total before the All-Star Break. It may be hard to grasp just how incredible that is. For reference, one year removed from being the worst team in the league, the Crushers are on pace to win 62 games. At their current pace, the Crushers would have had the best record in the Frontier League in 2023. How about them apples grapes?

Some league executives haven't quite bought into the Crushers' success story quite yet, and even Jared Lemieux said that there's still a lot of work to do. There certainly is. However, it may be in people's best interest to exercise a healthy, reverential fear - a fear of a certain Vitis vinifera.

Equipped with the best pitching staff in the league, a lineup that knows how to win by any means necessary, and a coaching staff full of industry professionals, the Lake Erie Crushers are putting the league on notice by giving fans and opponents alike reason to Fear the Grape.

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