| Sunday, June 6, 2010 For Immediate Release |
Contact: Jesse Goldberg-Strassler ( 517) 485-4500 ext. 233 |
Lugnuts wait out rain, collar Bandits, 8-6
LANSING, Mich. – The Lansing Lugnuts (31-25) waited out a pair of rain delays totaling over two hours to top the Quad Cities River Bandits (34-23), 8-6, on Sunday afternoon at Cooley Law School Stadium.
The game's first pitch was thrown at 2:04 p.m. The last out was recorded at 7:10 p.m.
After falling behind 2-0 early, Lansing tied the score on Mark Sobolewski's two-run homer in the first inning before taking a 5-2 lead in the second inning on a Balbino Fuenmayor home run and a Ryan Goins two-run triple. Heavy rains forced a 31-minute delay two batters later.
Once the game resumed, A.J. Jimenez supplied an RBI grounder before the River Bandits could retire the side.
Torrential rains arrived immediately, delaying the start of the third inning for another hour and 37 minutes.
At long last, the game continued once more with left-hander Egan Smith making his Lugnuts debut in relief of starter Ryan Tepera. Smith (1-0) allowed four hits and two runs in four innings to earn the victory, though it did not come easily.
Twice the River Bandits cut a four-run Lugnuts lead in half, the last in the eighth inning on consecutive bases-loaded RBI singles from Michael Swinson and Ryan Jackson against Lugnuts closer Steve Turnbull. Turnbull escaped the jam on a Ted Obregon ground out.
He then set down the side in order in the ninth for his league-leading 14th save.
Quad Cities starter Eric Fornutaro (5-4) received the loss, gashed for six runs on six hits in just 1 1/3 innings.
Ryan Schimpf paced a 10-hit Lansing attack with a 3-for-4 showing, assisted by a pair of triples and three RBIs from Ryan Goins.
The Lugnuts are off on Monday before embarking upon a six-game road trip to Peoria and Burlington beginning Tuesday.
The Nuts return home on Tuesday, June 15th, for a doubleheader against the Bowling Green Hot Rods. Tickets to all Lansing Lugnuts home games are available for purchase online at www.lansinglugnuts.com, at the stadium box office, and by calling 517-485-4500.
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