| Thursday, May 3, 2012 For Immediate Release |
Contact: Jesse Goldberg-Strassler ( 517) 485-4500, extension 233 |
Lugnuts enjoy wet, wild 6-5 victory over Loons
MIDLAND, Mich. – Chris Hawkins smoked three hits and scored three runs in the Lansing Lugnuts' (19-7) 6-5 comeback win against the Great Lakes Loons (14-12) on Thursday night at Dow Diamond.
There were four lead changes and neither team led by more than one run after the Loons took a 3-2 lead in the fourth.
With the win on Thursday evening, the Lugnuts avoided losing consecutive games for the first time in 2012.
Hawkins scored the winning run in the bottom of the seventh inning on a wild pitch, strike three to Kevin Patterson.
Loons reliever Juan Noriega (Loss, 1-1) had not allowed a run in 2012 before giving up four over 2 1/3 innings against the Lugnuts.
Jon Berti stole two bases and scored one of his two runs in the deciding seventh inning in his 1-for-5 evening.
All but one starter for the Lugnuts reached in the seven-hit attack that took advantage of three Loons errors which allowed two unearned runs to score.
In the ninth, Lansing closer Ajay Meyer (Save, 10) retired three in a row after a lead-off single to earn his Midwest League-leading tenth save of the year.
Loons starter Ryan O’Sullivan fought through four innings in which he allowed a base runner in every inning and gave up two hits, two walks and two runs.
David Rollins started for Lansing and was excellent in the first three innings, striking out four and allowing just one hit before walking a pair and giving up three runs in the fourth.
Despite Kramer Champlin (Win, 2-1) gave up the lead twice but tossed a perfect sixth inning before handing it off to Tyler Ybarra who struck out four and allow only one hit in two scoreless innings.
The Lugs send righty Marcus Walden (1-0, 1.82) to the mound opposite the Loons’ Matt Laney (0-2, 5.40) in the rubber match of the three-game series against the Loons, slated for 10:35 a.m. on Friday.
The Lugs return home to Lansing on Saturday, May 5th, to open seven-game homestand beginning with a LAFCU Fireworks Cinco de Mayo celebration! Tickets are available for purchase online at www.lansinglugnuts.com, at the stadium box office, and by calling 517-485-4500.
# # #
