Lake Erie Crushers Fall to Mississippi Mud Monsters in Series Opener

The Lake Erie Crushers dropped the first game of a six-game series against the Mississippi Mud Monsters 9-3 on Tuesday night in Pearl, Miss., falling to 17-23 on the season.

Early Lead, Early Trouble

Mississippi wasted no time getting on the board. Aggressive baserunning and an RBI single from right fielder Kasten Furr gave the Mud Monsters a 2-0 lead after the opening frame against Crushers starter Bob Helt.

Lake Erie battled back, putting runners on base against LHP Art Joven in the first two innings before second baseman Luis Acevedo delivered a two-out, two-RBI single to tie the game at 2 in the third.

Walks and Wild Pitches Prove Costly

The fourth inning turned the tide. Mississippi took advantage of walks and a two-RBI single from center fielder Brayland Skinner, then added another run on a wild pitch to go up 5-2.

Acevedo struck again in the fifth with another RBI single, pulling the Crushers within two. It was as close as Lake Erie would get.

Slow Bleed in the Late Innings

Mississippi added single runs in the fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth innings to build the final margin to 9-3. The Crushers left 11 men on base, unable to find the timely hit when it mattered most.

Joven earned the win, improving to 4-2 after grinding through five innings. Helt took the loss, his first decision of 2026, dropping to 0-1.

What’s Next

Game two of the six-game series is set for Wednesday, June 24, at 7:30 p.m. ET in Pearl. The Crushers return home to ForeFront Field in Avon on Tuesday, June 30, for a nine-game homestand opening against the Joliet Slammers at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are available at LECrushers.com.