Loons Extend Winning Streak to Five Games Before Splitting Twin Bill

After winning the first game of a Sunday doubleheader, 3-1, at LMCU Ballpark in Comstock Park, Mich., the Great Lakes Loons had the chance to be the first team in Midwest League history to sweep a six-game series on the road.

They came up just short.

The West Michigan Whitecaps snapped a seven-game losing streak, defeating the Loons in game two, 8-2.

The first game was another pitchers’ duel, led by the Loons’ starter Kyle Hurt, last week’s MWL Pitcher of the Week. The right-hander tossed three innings of work, allowing four hits and two walks but just one earned run, striking out two.

After that, the Great Lakes (10-11) bullpen stepped in and was terrific. Cole Percival (W, 1-0) tossed three innings of one-hit baseball, picking up a pair of strikeouts as well. He began the seventh inning and walked two, and Jose Hernandez (SV, 3) retired the next three Whitecaps in order to secure his third save in five games.

Hernandez was the only player in the Midwest League to register three saves this week, and one of only four pitchers with more than one save. He got a save in each appearance he made, one of just six pitchers to appear in three games this week.

On offense, the Loons got their first run in the fourth inning, when they trailed by a run. Aldrich De Jongh led off the frame with a solo homer to tie the game at one.

In the top of the seventh inning, the final frame of regulation, the score was still tied for Loons hitters. Ismael Alcantara led off the frame with a single, then moved to third on a Ryan January double off of Whitecaps reliever Gabriel Sequeira (L, 0-1). Leonel Valera came through with the game-winning hit, an RBI single. January scored three batters later when Jorbit Vivas reached on an error to give the game its final score of 3-1.

In the second game, West Michigan (8-13) scored early and often. Kendall Williams (L, 0-1) made his Loons debut and was tagged for five earned runs on eight hits in three innings of work. He picked up four strikeouts in his start.

Kevin Malisheski had a very good appearance in relief for the Loons, tossing two perfect innings of baseball while striking out one batter.

The lone offense for Great Lakes, High-A affiliate for the Los Angeles Dodgers, came off the bat of Joe Vranesh. The outfielder finished 3-for-3 with two solo home runs.

West Michigan, the Detroit Tigers’ partner at the High-A level, had terrific pitching, allowing only five hits and one walk to Loons batters in the second game while striking out seven. That was the only walk they issued in the fourteen innings on Sunday. Dario Gardea (W, 1-0) allowed just a hit in his lone inning out of the pen. Andrew Magno had a hit and a walk in his one frame.

For the Loons, Eddys Leonard continued a great week at the plate in game one, going 2-for-4 to extend his hitting streak to six games and his on-base streak to 18 games. Both of those streaks came to an end in game two, however, as he went 0-for-4. He ends the week with nine hits, good for third in the Midwest League this week, and 15 total bases, which ranks second on the week.

Great Lakes notches its first series win of the young season, five games to one, but their season-long five-game winning streak comes to an end. The Loons return home to Dow Diamond for a six-game series against the Beloit Sky Carp (7-14), on a three-game winning streak of their own. First pitch of the series will be Tuesday at 11:05 a.m. for a School Kids Day – the Loons are set to welcome 3,000+ school-aged children to Dow Diamond for a baseball field trip. Tickets are still available on loons.com. Catch all the action on ESPN 100.9-FM, beginning at 10:50 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.