Skinner's Late Inning Heroics Overshadowed as Lake Erie Takes 13-10 Thriller
FL Mississippi Mud Monsters

Skinner's Late Inning Heroics Overshadowed as Lake Erie Takes 13-10 Thriller

Published on June 29, 2026 under Frontier League (FL)
Mississippi Mud Monsters News Release


Mississippi Mud Monsters catcher Andrew Semo during the National Anthem
Mississippi Mud Monsters catcher Andrew Semo during the National Anthem
(Mississippi Mud Monsters)

PEARL, Miss. - An eighth-inning pinch-hit grand slam by Brayland Skinner put the Mississippi Mud Monsters (18-27) ahead late, but a ninth-inning rally allowed the Lake Erie Crushers (20-25) to steal a 13-10 victory.

Southpaw Art Joven took the bump for Sunday's finale after earning the win in the opener and striking out six across five innings. The Bakersfield, California native entered the matchup with 12 strikeouts against the Crushers this season.

Unlike the previous two games in the series, it was Lake Erie striking first, bringing home two runs in the opening inning.

Back-to-back walks to Sebastian Alexander and Joe Redfield were followed by an RBI single from Samuel Benjamin to score the game's first run.

Jacob Tobias walked to load the bases, and a groundout by Pavin Parks brought home the second run to make it 2-0 before the final out of the inning was recorded.

The Mud Monsters threatened in their first offensive opportunity as Kasten Furr and Kyle Booker reached via a walk and hit-by-pitch but were left stranded.

Lake Erie added another run in the second after James Jett led off with a double, stole third and scored on an errant offering from Joven to make it 3-0.

Mississippi answered in the bottom half of the inning.

A one-out walk to Scout Knotts was followed by a groundout from Vantrel Reed to move Knotts into scoring position before Slater Schield singled him home for the Mud Monsters' first run.

After Schield stole second, Furr worked his second walk of the game before Booker delivered an RBI single to score Schield for his 45th RBI of the season, trimming the deficit to 3-2.

Following the back-to-back scoring innings for Lake Erie, Joven settled in by tossing three consecutive scoreless frames before giving way to Brayden Sanders in the sixth.

Joven finished with five innings of work, allowing three runs on six hits while walking four and striking out two.

Sanders retired the side in order in the sixth before running into trouble in the seventh.

With one out, Tobias walked and Parks doubled to put two runners in scoring position. Luis Acevedo followed with a sharp ground ball that Vantrel Reed snagged on a tricky hop before firing home, but Andrew Semo was unable to hold onto the throw, allowing Tobias to score and extend the Crushers' lead to 4-2.

Mississippi was retired in order in the bottom of the seventh, and Lake Erie added two more runs in the eighth.

After a one-out walk to Nick Chavez and a sacrifice bunt by Alexander, Redfield ripped an RBI double to make it 5-2. Benjamin followed with an RBI single to score Redfield and push the lead to 6-2.

Then came the comeback.

Brandon Noriega entered in relief of Christian Scafidi, and Samil De La Rosa and Tevis Payne II each worked walks before a passed ball moved both runners into scoring position.

A balk brought home De La Rosa to make it 6-3 before back-to-back walks to Semo and Knotts loaded the bases.

With Vantrel Reed due up, manager Jay Pecci turned to Skinner, who was receiving a day off after collecting five hits Saturday night.

Noriega looked in, came set, and Skinner crushed the first pitch he saw just over the right-field fence for the second grand slam in Mud Monsters history and the club's first of the 2026 season, giving Mississippi a stunning 7-6 lead.

The Mud Monsters kept the rally rolling.

Schield drew a walk, Furr singled and Booker lined an RBI single to score Schield and make it 8-6.

Holt followed with a groundout to score Furr before De La Rosa, batting for the second time in the inning, drilled a ground-rule double to cap the eight-run frame and give Mississippi a 10-6 advantage.

Looking for the final three outs, Chris Barraza came on to close it out.

Lake Erie had other ideas.

Barraza walked Parks and Acevedo before allowing a single to Jarrod Watkins to load the bases.

Garret Pike, who had entered earlier as a defensive replacement, singled home two runs to cut the deficit to 10-8.

After Chavez singled to reload the bases, Barraza gave way to Tristan House.

House walked Alexander with the bases loaded to make it a one-run game before Redfield tied the game with a sacrifice fly.

With two runners still aboard, Benjamin drove an opposite-field three-run home run to put Lake Erie back in front 13-10.

The Crushers turned to Wednesday's starter Edwin Sanchez for the ninth. Despite issuing a leadoff walk to Schield, Sanchez retired the next three hitters to finish off the heartbreaking victory.

Despite the loss, Mississippi secured its second six-game series split of the season and now turns its attention to upcoming three-game sets against the Gateway Grizzlies and Florence Y'alls.

Following an off day Monday, the Mud Monsters continue the second half of their 12-game homestand Tuesday, June 30, against the Gateway Grizzlies. It is another Bingo Madness game with fans having the opportunity to play throughout the evening for prizes. Mississippi has yet to announce a probable starter, while Gateway is expected to send Ty Good (3-1, 4.54) to the mound.

Check out the Mississippi Mud Monsters Statistics

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Images from this story

Mississippi Mud Monsters catcher Andrew Semo during the National Anthem
Mississippi Mud Monsters catcher Andrew Semo during the National Anthem
   



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