Lake Erie's Early Surge Pushes Crushers Past Mud Monsters 11-5
PEARL, Miss. (June 25, 2026) - The Mississippi Mud Monsters (16-26) fell into a 9-0 hole early as the Lake Erie Crushers (19-23) ended up taking the game by an 11-5 final.
Monster Notes
Mississippi fought back with a four-run fifth, but Lake Erie's early lead proved too much.
- Brayland Skinner went 2-for-5 with an RBI, a run scored and a stolen base.
- Kasten Furr drove in two runs during Mississippi's four-run fifth inning.
- Tevis Payne II finished 2-for-4 and scored a run.
- AJ Fritz tossed a scoreless ninth inning on the mound.
- The Mud Monsters scored on a wild pitch for the third straight game in the series.
Crushers Strike First
Lake Erie scored in each of the first three innings.
After starting the season on the injured list, Eric Elliott continued to build his stamina as a starter in the professional ranks.
For the third consecutive game, Lake Erie struck first, bringing home two runs after the first two men reached on a single and a walk before a two-run double by Pavin Parks made it 2-0.
In the second inning, the Crushers doubled their lead with two outs after a walk to Samuel Benjamin was followed by a two-run home run from Derek Vegas to make it 4-0.
A five-run third inning only made Mississippi's task more difficult.
Five-Run Third
Lake Erie stretched the lead to 9-0.
Back-to-back walks and a single loaded the bases before a bases-loaded walk made it 5-0.
Brayden Sanders relieved Elliott, inheriting the bases-loaded situation.
A two-run single by the next batter, Jarrod Watkins, made it 7-0. Benjamin followed with an RBI single before an out was recorded by either Elliott or Sanders.
Later in the frame with one out, Sebastian Alexander reached on a fielder's choice that allowed the inning's fifth and final run to score, making it 9-0 Crushers.
Watkins crossed the Crushers' run total into double digits with a solo home run in the fourth to make it 10-0.
Four-Run Fifth
Mississippi finally broke through against Brandon Scott.
The Mud Monsters finally got to Lake Erie starter Brandon Scott in the bottom of the fifth, plating four runs.
The inning began with Samil De La Rosa drawing a walk before Tevis Payne II singled and Slater Schield walked to load the bases.
As the lineup turned over, Brayland Skinner singled for his second hit of the day to score De La Rosa and get the Mud Monsters on the board at 10-1.
One batter later, Travis Holt worked a bases-loaded walk to bring home Payne II and make it 10-2.
Furr followed with a two-out single to score Schield and Skinner before the inning was complete, trimming the deficit to 10-4.
Another Run on a Wild Pitch
Holt continued a series-long trend in the eighth.
Tristan House entered in the seventh and recorded the first two outs before Alexander singled.
Alexander advanced to second after Payne II's back-pick attempt at first sailed into center field and later scored to make it 11-4. The run was unearned and charged to House.
Mississippi added one more run in the eighth after a two-out wild pitch allowed Holt to score.
The Mud Monsters have now scored on a wild pitch in all three games of the series. In Tuesday's opener, Schield scored on one from Scott while he was pitching in relief. Wednesday saw Kasten Furr score on a wild pitch from Edwin Sanchez, and Holt continued the trend Thursday evening.
Fritz Finishes on the Mound
The infielder tossed a scoreless ninth inning.
AJ Fritz moved from second base to the pitcher's mound and tossed a scoreless ninth inning.
Despite back-to-back walks to Holt and Fritz to begin the ninth, Dawson Hargrove held Mississippi at bay to secure the 11-5 victory for Lake Erie.
Full Box Score
Lake Erie 11, Mississippi 5 - June 25, 2026 at Trustmark Park
Line Score
Lake Erie Batting
Mississippi Batting
Lake Erie Pitching
Mississippi Pitching
Box Score Notes
Lake Erie extra-base hits: Parks doubled in the first. Vegas homered in the second. Watkins homered in the fourth.
Mississippi: Skinner, Holt and Furr drove in runs. Skinner and Payne II each stole a base. Booker was caught stealing.
Fielding: Mississippi turned one double play. Lake Erie passed ball - Vegas. Mississippi errors - Knotts and Payne II. Mississippi passed ball - Payne II.
Pitching: Scott 88 pitches, 51 strikes. Noriega 27 pitches, 16 strikes. Scafidi 26 pitches, 10 strikes. Hargrove 23 pitches, 12 strikes. Elliott 66 pitches, 29 strikes. Sanders 33 pitches, 20 strikes. Woolfolk 38 pitches, 23 strikes. House 18 pitches, 11 strikes. Barraza 12 pitches, 8 strikes. Fritz 8 pitches, 6 strikes.
Game information: Trustmark Park - Pearl, Mississippi. Thursday, June 25, 2026. First pitch: 6:35 p.m. Final out: 9:56 p.m. Time of game: 3:21. Attendance: 3,044. Weather: 82 degrees. Wind: 5 mph ESE.
Up Next
The Mud Monsters continue the second half of their six-game series against the Crushers Friday evening. Fireworks Friday features a Salute to First Responders followed by a postgame fireworks show.
Left-hander Tyler Campbell gets the start for Mississippi while Lake Erie counters with right-hander Fraynel Nova (1-5, 6.10). First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CT, and gates open at 5:30 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.