| Sunday, July 4, 2010 For Immediate Release |
Contact: Jesse Goldberg-Strassler ( 517) 485-4500 ext. 233 |
Lugnuts use late fireworks, bounce Captains in 10th, 7-6
LANSING, Mich. – Before a season-high crowd of 11,114, the Lansing Lugnuts (7-3; 43-36) scored three runs in the bottom of the 10th inning, capped off by Justin Jackson's two-run bad-hop walk-off single, to shock the Lake County Captains (5-4; 49-30), 7-6, on Independence Day on Jackson Field.
After Chris Kersten's two-run single put the Captains up 6-4 in the top of the 10th inning, the Lugnuts rallied against Jeremy Johnson (3-1) in the home half.
Ryan Goins, Kevin Nolan, and Yan Gomes strung together consecutive one-out singles to shave the deficit to a run. Argenis Martinez slickly handled Ryan Schimpf's hopper for the second out while Nolan and Gomes moved into scoring position.
Jackson followed with a seemingly routine bouncer toward the second baseman, but the ball unexpectedly leapt high over Martinez's head into left-center as the tying and winning runs scored.
The victory went to Brian Slover (3-3), who had allowed Kersten's single in the top half of the inning.
It was the Lugnuts' sixth walk-off win of the year, as well as their third already in the second half.
Nolan finished the game 4-for-4 with a walk and two runs scored to extend his team-high hitting streak to 18 games. Goins extended his on-base streak to 19 games, and Balbino Fuenmayor belted his fifth home run of the year in the victorious effort.
Lugnuts starter Egan Smith allowed three runs on nine hits over seven inning in a no-decision.
Lansing had taken a 4-3 lead to the ninth thanks to Yan Gomes' two-run eighth inning single, but the Captains forced extra-innings on Trent Baker's one-out RBI single against Aaron Loup.
The two teams play the middle affair of their three-game series on Monday at 7:05 p.m., Lansing right-hander Dave Sever (2-4, 4.02) opposing Captains right-hander Clayton Cook (3-4, 3.68).
Tickets to all 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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