Small Ball, Comeback Win Kicks off Road Trip for Lake Erie
June 13, 2025 - Frontier League (FL)
Lake Erie Crushers News Release
Florence, KY - The Lake Erie Crushers (16-13) started off the longest road trip of 2025 on the right foot with a 4-3 comeback win over the Florence Y'alls (13-17) in a drama-filled bout on Friday night.
It was a rocky start for Lake Erie in the bottom of the first. A pair of fielding errors led to three runs coming across for Florence, who had been red hot at the plate earlier in the week. However, pro's pro pitcher LHP Jack Eisenbarger played fire hydrant and put the fire out before it got too big. He mowed down 10 straight batters and retired 14 of the last 16 men he faced en route to a quality start.
Eisenbarger stalled enough for the Crushers to churn the wheels of the offense in the middle innings. 2B Jarrod Watkins lofted a sacrifice fly to get Lake Erie on the board in the 5th, then LF Burle Dixon showed off the speed in the 6th. On a dropped third strike, Dixon broke for home as the Y'alls threw to first to complete the strikeout. His run got the Crushers within one, and they wasted no time putting it on the board in the 7th.
The Crushers loaded the bases and got an RBI groundout from C Alfredo Gonzalez to knot the game at three, but that was all they could muster in the inning.
With Eisenbarger finishing the 6th, he walked away with another excellent outing. His final line: 6 IP, 2 H, 3 R/1 ER, 2 BB, and 7 K. RHP Dayan Reinoso took over in the 7th and set down the Y'alls in order.
Reinoso emerged back on the mound for the 8th, got two outs, then handed the ball to LHP Kenny Pierson with two outs and the go-ahead run on 3rd. Pierson jammed DH Zade Richardson on a two-strike pitch, but Richardson didn't run. Pierson picked the ball up and tossed to first to record the final out of the inning with Richardson still standing in the batter's box, completely convinced he fouled the ball off his foot. Instead, Lake Erie came out unscathed.
Then, in the 9th, the Crushers finally broke through with the big hit. CF Dario Gomez put down a perfect bunt single on the first pitch of the inning, then Jarrod Watkins followed suit on the next pitch, bunting Gomez to second. DH Scout Knotts after a couple days off came to the plate hitless on the night. Down in the count, Knotts came up clutch. He laced a single up the middle that brought Gomez in to score, giving Lake Erie their first lead of the night, 4-3.
RHP Brandyn Sittinger came in to try for the save, but the drama continued. He walked the leadoff man on four pitches, generally an omen for bad things to come. But Sittinger buckled down and got a huge strikeout of LF Brendan Bobo to get the first out of the frame.
Then, C Michael Quinones grounded a ball through the right side to put men on the corners with just one out and the tying run just 90 feet away. Sittinger, once again, came through in the clutch, though. He struck out PH Eddie Javier Jr., then induced a bases-loaded flyout to end the game and lock in his first Crushers save.
The comeback win marks the first time the Crushers have won three straight games since late May, and there's no better way to start the road trip than with a comeback "W".
Kenny Pierson (1-1) was awarded the win, and Florence reliever Jett Lodes (1-3) was tagged with the loss. Brandyn Sittinger (1) found the timely strikeouts in his first Lake Erie save.
Lake Erie continues the series with the Y'alls Saturday, June 14th. First pitch is at 6:36pm ET. The Crushers will return home Thursday, June 26th against the Washington Wild Things. Get tickets online at lakeeriecrushers.com.
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!
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