Clinton, Iowa – The two best offensive teams in the Midwest League opened a three-game series on a cold, wet, and windy evening at Alliant Energy Field Friday night. As expected there was a lot of hitting, but it came mostly from one team as the Clinton LumberKings blasted the Lansing Lugnuts
13-2. The 11 run defeat is the worst this season for the Lugnuts.

The home club wasted little time in jumping out to an early lead, using a three-run, two-out rally in the first inning to take control of the affair. The frame was highlighted by Mitch Moreland's two-run double to left field that started the scoring. He would later score on a Trystan Magnuson wild pitch.

Clinton would score three more times in the next frame to double their lead to 6-0. Ian Gac's RBI single to center field scored Matt Lawson to make it 4-0. He was quickly followed up by Tim Smith who mashed a triple off of the left-center field wall that plated Renny Osuna and Gac.

Cristian Santana got into the act in the third inning with a solo homer that made it 7-0 in favor of the LumberKings.

Then in the fourth, Gac delivered his third hit of the night, a two-run homer that pushed the lead to 9-0. He finished the game 4-for-4 with three RBI and three runs scored. The home run was also his league leading ninth of the year, which is also the most in all of Minor League Baseball.

Clinton would add three more runs in the fifth and one in the sixth to finish the barrage leading 13-0 after six innings.

The LumberKing offense was supported by a terrific start from hurler Kennil Gomez (3-0). He threw six shutout innings and allowed just four hits during his tenure on the mound while picking up the win.

Julio Santana earned his first save by throwing the final three innings, where he surrendered two runs.

Trystan Magnuson (0-3) took the loss for Lansing after yielding six runs in just two innings of work.

Lansing (12-8) and Clinton (14-4) will play the second game of the series on Saturday night beginning at 8:00 p.m. Kyle Ginley (3-0, 1.19) will take the mound for the Lugnuts, while Neftali Feliz (2-1, 6.06) will get the call for the LumberKings.

AUDIO HIGHLIGHTS
3rd: Cristian Santana homers for Clinton.
4th: Ian Gac hits his ninth dinger of the year.