AVON, Ohio (August 26, 2025) – In the first-ever meeting between the Down East Bird Dawgs and Lake Erie Crushers, Down East broke open a tie game with a four-run fifth inning on the way to a 7-3 victory Tuesday night at Crushers Stadium.

The Crushers took an early lead in the third when Sebastian Alexander hit an RBI double and Kenen Irizarry singled to drive in a run for a 2-0 advantage.

Down East responded in the fourth when Yeniel Laboy launched a three-run homer to put the Bird Dawgs in front, 3-2.

Lake Erie tied it in the bottom half as Derek Vegas drove in a run on a groundout to even the score at 3-3.

The Bird Dawgs exploded in the fifth as Yassel Pino hit a sacrifice fly and Ali LaPread cleared the bases with a three-run double to give Down East a 7-3 lead.

Pitching took over from there, with the Bird Dawgs holding the Crushers scoreless the rest of the way.

Danny Beal (4-4) earned the win, allowing three runs on six hits while striking out four over seven innings.

Darrien Ragins (6-6) took the loss, surrendering seven runs on five hits across 4 2/3 innings.

The Bird Dawgs improved to 36-54 with five games remaining in the regular season. Down East looks for the series win over Lake Erie on Wednesday, August 27, with first pitch set for 12:05 p.m.