Bats Harvest 20 Hits; Williams Mows Down Crushers on Way to Farmers Appreciation Win
PEARL, Miss. (June 27, 2026) - On a special Farmers Appreciation Night presented by Mississippi Farm Bureau, it was a record-setting day for the Mississippi Mud Monsters (18-26), who picked up a new team record with 20 hits, five from Brayland Skinner, while being aided by a seven-strikeout performance by Brian Williams to defeat the Lake Erie Crushers (19-25) by a 15-5 final.
Monster Notes
A record-setting night in the Swamp: 20 hits, 15 runs and seven strong innings from Brian Williams.
- Brayland Skinner went 5-for-6 with a double, three runs scored and a stolen base.
- Mississippi set a new franchise record with 20 hits.
- Brian Williams worked seven innings, struck out seven and earned the win.
- Kyle Booker tripled twice and drove in two runs.
- Vantrel Reed drove in three runs and added a double.
Early Harvest
The Mud Monsters scored three runs in the first inning.
Williams took the hill for Mississippi donning special Farmers Appreciation-themed jerseys and, just like a farmer, mowed down Lake Erie.
The offense got up early as if a rooster crowed and immediately brought home a trio of runs.
All with two outs in the inning, Travis Holt hit an infield single and AJ Fritz walked to put two Mud Monsters on for Samil De La Rosa.
De La Rosa took a pitch from Lake Erie starter Adam Brouwer and pounded it off the left field wall for his fourth double of the series to score Holt and put the Mud Monsters up 1-0.
Andrew Semo and Tevis Payne II each followed with RBI singles to knock in Fritz and De La Rosa to make it 3-0.
The Hit Tractor Keeps Chugging
Mississippi added two more in the second inning.
In the second, with the 3-0 advantage, the hit tractor kept chugging with a duo of runs touching home.
Skinner tagged a pitch from Brouwer for a one-out double.
Kyle Booker followed by crushing an off-speed pitch up in the zone to dead center field for a run-scoring triple.
Holt hit a sacrifice fly to bring in a tagging Booker to make it a 5-0 ballgame.
Five-Run Fourth
The Mud Monsters hit double digits before the fourth inning ended.
After being held scoreless in the third, Henry Chabot took things over from Brouwer in the fourth. The result was more of the same from Mississippi's offense as a five-run fourth awaited.
Skinner led off things with a base hit, his second of the game and fifth straight game with two or more hits.
Booker walked and Holt cracked an RBI double to bring in Skinner before Fritz singled to score another run, making it 7-0 Mississippi.
Back-to-back strikeouts stranded Holt and Fritz before a walk to Payne II loaded up the bases for Vantrel Reed.
Reed followed suit with a double to score Holt and Fritz. With Payne II trying for third, the throw that came in from left fielder Sebastian Alexander was fired into foul territory to bring home Payne II for the second straight double-digit run-scoring game for Mississippi with a 10-0 advantage.
Lake Erie Answers
The Crushers got on the board with two fifth-inning home runs.
Lake Erie got to Brian Williams in the top of the fifth via two long balls.
First, Samuel Benjamin hit a solo blast to get them on the board and make the score 10-1.
Later, after two men reached with one out, Pavin Parks hit a three-run blast to make it 10-4.
The Mud Monsters answered with two runs in the bottom half of the inning to re-distance themselves from the Crushers.
After Holt reached on a fielder's choice and Fritz drew a walk, De La Rosa singled to drive in run number 11 while putting runners on the corners.
A hit-by-pitch put Semo on to load the bases, and Tevis Payne II walked to allow Holt to come in before the inning ended to make it 12-4.
Farmers Night Fun
A peek at the between-innings scene from the Swamp.
Record Night
Mississippi kept stacking hits and set a new franchise mark.
The score held through a scoreless sixth inning, but Mississippi picked up a run following the seventh inning stretch.
Fritz started the inning by walking. He moved to second on a fielder's choice and crossed home plate on Semo's second RBI single of the day to make it 13-4.
Lake Erie would get a run on the board as Tristan House took things over for Brian Williams on the hill when the eighth commenced.
Williams finished the day going the deepest of any of his starts, with 7.0 full frames while allowing four runs on eight hits, striking out seven and walking two.
House walked Luis Acevedo aboard to start the inning. A single by Watkins followed to put two men on and a second consecutive single by Benjamin scored a run to make it 13-5.
In their last chance on offense in the bottom of the eighth while facing position player Nick Chavez, it was a bit of a repeat of the second inning.
Skinner singled for his fifth hit of the day. He is the second Mud Monsters hitter to reach the mark, joining Victor Diaz, who accomplished the feat on August 19, 2025 against Florence on the road.
Booker picked up his second triple of the day to score Skinner to make it 14-5.
Holt then singled to bring Booker home to go back up by ten runs at 15-5.
The 20-hit performance surpassed the previous franchise record of 17, set on June 17, 2025, against the Gateway Grizzlies.
Newest Mud Monster Jase Schueller came out of the Mud Monsters bullpen to close out the ball game. He shut the door on the Crushers while picking up his first professional strikeout to secure the 15-5 Farmers Appreciation Night victory.
Full Box Score
Mississippi 15, Lake Erie 5 - June 27, 2026 at Trustmark Park
Line Score
Lake Erie Batting
Mississippi Batting
Lake Erie Pitching
Mississippi Pitching
Box Score Notes
Lake Erie extra-base hits: Pike doubled in the seventh. Benjamin homered in the fifth. Parks homered in the fifth.
Mississippi extra-base hits: De La Rosa doubled in the first. Skinner doubled in the second. Fritz doubled in the second. Holt doubled in the fourth. Reed doubled in the fourth. Booker tripled in the second and eighth.
RBIs: Lake Erie - Parks 3, Benjamin 2. Mississippi - Booker 2, Holt 2, Fritz, De La Rosa 2, Semo 2, Payne II 2, Reed 3.
Base running: Lake Erie caught stealing - Alexander. Mississippi stolen bases - Skinner and Payne II.
Pitching: Brouwer 67 pitches, 46 strikes. Chabot 32 pitches, 17 strikes. Pierson 33 pitches, 16 strikes. Traver 39 pitches, 17 strikes. Chavez 9 pitches, 6 strikes. Williams 100 pitches, 65 strikes. House 16 pitches, 7 strikes. Schueller 7 pitches, 6 strikes.
Game information: Trustmark Park - Pearl, Mississippi. Saturday, June 27, 2026. First pitch: 6:03 p.m. Final out: 9:04 p.m. Time of game: 3:01. Attendance: 2,202. Weather: 93 degrees. Wind: 12 mph NNE. Official scorer: Bobby Gross.
Up Next
The Mud Monsters wrap their six-game series against the Crushers Sunday evening. It is a 601 Sunday with Kids Run the Bases happening postgame.
Southpaw Art Joven (4-2, 4.98) goes for Mississippi while Bob Helt (0-1, 7.64) goes for Lake Erie. First pitch is scheduled for 6:01 p.m. CT, and gates open at 5:01 p.m. CT.
About the Mississippi Mud Monsters
Baseball Lives Here. It Just Got a Little Weirder.
The Mississippi Mud Monsters are a professional baseball team based in Pearl, Mississippi, competing in the Frontier League. Built in the mud and rooted in Mississippi, the Mud Monsters believe baseball should be unapologetically fun, a little weird, wildly welcoming, and deeply tied to the place it calls home. Real baseball. Real people. This is swamp-built, Mississippi-made baseball, where the vibes matter just as much as the final score.