Alcantara’s Eighth-Inning Double Leads Loons to Fifth Consecutive Win

MIDLAND, Mich. – On Sunday afternoon at Dow Diamond, the Great Lakes Loons battled back from a three-run deficit to take the lead in the fifth inning, but the Beloit Sky Carp tied the game in the seventh inning.

For the second straight day, the Loons swung momentum back their way.

This time, it was courtesy of Ismael Alcantara, who lofted a broken-bat double up the left field line in the eighth inning to put Great Lakes ahead for good. The Loons get their fifth-straight win over Beloit, 5-4.

Great Lakes (15-12) got another great outing from its starting pitcher, Kevin Malisheski. The right-handed pitcher made his first start since 2019, and pitched tremendously. He did not allow a hit through three innings of work, allowing just one walk while striking out five batters.

Yet it was Beloit (8-19) who struck first in the game. In the fourth inning, the Sky Carp got two infield singles and a walk to load the bases, then Tanner Allen knocked an infield single to score a run. A wild pitch scored the second run, then an RBI groundout scored the third, and the Sky Carp had an early 3-0 lead. All three runs were charged and earned to left-hander Adam Scoggins, who recorded just one out in the frame.

Braydon Fisher came in to relieve Scoggins, and got through the final two outs of the fourth inning then recorded a perfect fifth. His final line read 1 2-3 scoreless innings with no hits, one walk and two strikeouts.

The Sky Carp, Miami’s High-A affiliate, also had a good start from Zach King, who only allowed one hit in his first four innings, but things fell apart for him in the fifth. Edwin Mateo led off the inning with a double, then scored on a Joe Vranesh double two batters later. Jonny Deluca singled to move Vranesh to third, then Jorbit Vivas singled to drive him in. The Loons trailed by one when Eddys Leonard reached on a no-out fielder’s choice, and the ball was dropped on the infield on that play, allowing DeLuca to score from second and tie the game at three. The Loons took the lead when Leonard was caught stealing – Vivas advanced home on the throw to second base.

Carlos Alejo tossed 2-3 of an inning, allowing a hit and a walk while striking out a batter, then was pulled, and Cole Duensing finished the sixth frame with a punchout. Duensing came back out for the seventh and retired his first two batters, but allowed his lone hit, a Cody Morissette solo home run, which tied the game at four.

In the decisive eighth inning, Ryan January and Kekai Rios drew walks to get aboard. Both of those Loons reached base three times Sunday afternoon: January with two walks and a single, and Rios with three bases on balls. After two foul pop-outs, Alcantara came through with his late inning heroics off of Sean Reynolds (L, 0-1) to put Great Lakes ahead for good.

Julian Smith (W, 2-0) tossed the final two frames of the contest, allowing just one hit while striking out a pair. The southpaw has now allowed just four earned runs in his 14 1-3 innings this season.

The Loons have now won five straight games, and this is their second consecutive series in which they’ve won five out of six. The Loons and Sky Carp do not meet again this season. Great Lakes takes its five-game winning streak on the road, heading to Classic Park in Eastlake, Ohio, to take on the Lake County Captains for a six-game series. First pitch of the set is scheduled for Tuesday at 11:00 a.m., with pregame coverage beginning on ESPN 100.9-FM at 10:45 a.m. with the Loons On-Deck Circle, driven by Garber Chevrolet Midland.

The Great Lakes Loons have been a Single-A partner of the Los Angeles Dodgers since the team’s inception in 2007. Dow Diamond serves as the team’s home and also houses the Michigan Baseball Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit public charity, and ESPN 100.9-FM. For tickets or information about the Loons, call 989-837-BALL or visit Loons.com.