Campbell’s Phenomenal Start Lasts into Ninth; Crushers Walk Off Mud Monsters 2-1
AVON, Ohio (Aug. 4, 2026) - Tyler Campbell delivered the best start of his Frontier League career, pitching deeper into a game than any other starter this season, but the Mississippi Mud Monsters (29-44) offense struck out a season-high 13 times against Fraynel Nova and the Lake Erie Crushers (30-44) in a 2-1 walk-off loss Tuesday evening.
Monster Notes
Campbell carried the night deep into the ninth before Lake Erie walked it off.
- Tyler Campbell threw a career-best 8.1 innings, allowing two runs on three hits while striking out four.
- AJ Fritz drove in Mississippi’s lone run with a seventh-inning RBI double.
- Brayland Skinner opened the game with a single to extend his hitting streak to 10 games.
- Kyle Booker singled, stole second and scored the tying run in the seventh.
- Mississippi’s pitching staff held Lake Erie to three hits, but the Crushers scored the deciding run in the ninth.
Campbell Takes the Ball
The left-hander opened Mississippi’s six-game road trip.
Looking to carry momentum from Sunday’s series finale victory over the Schaumburg Boomers, the Mud Monsters turned to left-hander Campbell for the opener of a six-game road trip and the first of three games against the Lake Erie Crushers.
Campbell entered Tuesday coming off a quality start against Lake Erie at Trustmark Park on June 26 that helped lift Mississippi to an 11-4 victory.
This time around at ForeFront Field, Brayland Skinner opened Mississippi’s offense with a single to extend his hitting streak to 10 games.
Skinner stole second but was thrown out attempting to steal third on the next pitch, and the Mud Monsters were retired quietly.
Early Zeroes
Both starters settled into the night.
Campbell’s evening on the mound began with a one-out walk to Luis Acevedo.
The runner advanced to second on a passed ball charged to Victor Diaz but was stranded in scoring position.
Both starters, Campbell and Nova, settled in by tossing 1-2-3 second and third innings.
Campbell surrendered the first Lake Erie hit with one out in the fourth after Garret Pike singled.
The southpaw held the Crushers hitless through the first 3.1 innings before pitching his way out of the frame to keep the game scoreless.
Crushers Strike First
Jacob Tobias broke the scoreless tie in the fifth.
Nova retired Mississippi in the fifth to complete his fourth consecutive perfect inning.
In the bottom of the fifth, Lake Erie struck first when Jacob Tobias launched a one-out solo home run to make it 1-0.
Nova remained in command into the seventh, retiring 18 consecutive Mud Monsters after Skinner’s leadoff single until Kyle Booker singled with one out.
Fritter Ties It
Fritz doubled home Booker in the seventh inning.
Booker stole second and came around to score one batter later after AJ Fritz smashed an RBI double off the left-field fence to tie the game at 1-1.
Campbell answered with a 1-2-3 bottom of the seventh, holding the tie after receiving his first run of support.
Campbell Keeps Going
The left-hander finished eight innings for the first time with Mississippi.
Lake Erie turned to its bullpen in the eighth, bringing in Christian Scafidi.
Scafidi struck out the first two Mississippi hitters he faced before Trey Bridges drew a walk. Bridges attempted to steal second, but catcher Nick Chavez threw him out to end the inning.
Campbell continued into the bottom of the eighth, tossing his fifth 1-2-3 inning of the night to send the game to the ninth.
Crushers Walk It Off
Lake Erie scored the final run in the bottom of the ninth.
Mississippi faced another new reliever in the top of the ninth as Brandyn Sittinger entered from the Crushers bullpen.
The Lake Erie right-hander, who also serves as the club’s pitching coach, retired the side in order while recording Mississippi’s 13th strikeout of the night, setting a new single-game season high and surpassing the previous mark of 11 by Joliet on July 9.
At 106 pitches entering the bottom of the ninth, Campbell remained on the mound looking to force extra innings.
Campbell hit leadoff batter Joe Redfield with a 2-2 offering to begin the frame.
Acevedo followed by dropping a bunt down the first-base line that Karell Paz fielded and threw to Joshua Shelly at second for the force out on Redfield. The relay back to first with Fritz covering came just late, allowing Acevedo to reach safely.
Pike followed with his second hit of the evening, a double into the left-center field gap to score Acevedo and walk off the Mud Monsters, 2-1.
Campbell’s career-best outing with the Mud Monsters concluded after 8.1 innings. The southpaw allowed two runs on three hits while walking one and striking out four.
Full Box Score
Lake Erie 2, Mississippi 1 - Aug. 4, 2026 at ForeFront Field
Line Score
Mississippi Batting
Lake Erie Batting
Mississippi Pitching
Lake Erie Pitching
Box Score Notes
Mississippi extra-base hit: Fritz doubled in the seventh inning off Nova.
Lake Erie extra-base hits: Tobias hit a solo home run in the fifth. Pike doubled in the ninth.
RBIs: Mississippi - Fritz. Lake Erie - Pike, Tobias.
Hit by pitch: Redfield was hit by Campbell.
Defense: Mississippi played errorless defense. Diaz was charged with a passed ball.
Base running: Skinner and Booker stole bases for Mississippi. Skinner and Bridges were caught stealing.
Pitching: Campbell 117 pitches, 76 strikes. Nova 93 pitches, 64 strikes. Scafidi 24 pitches, 16 strikes. Sittinger 11 pitches, 7 strikes.
Game information: ForeFront Field. Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2026. First pitch: 6:33 p.m. Final out: 8:34 p.m. Time of game: 2:01. Attendance: 2,302. Weather: 79 degrees. Wind: 8 mph blowing out to right field.
Up Next
The Mud Monsters continue their three-game series against the Lake Erie Crushers on Wednesday afternoon.
First pitch is scheduled for 12:00 p.m. ET / 11:00 a.m. CT. Right-hander Sergio Sanchez (1-2, 3.77) gets the start for Mississippi while Lake Erie counters with left-hander Edwin Sanchez (6-4, 5.19).
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.