Loons Offense Emerges Anew in Dominant Win Over Lansing

LANSING, Mich. – After registering just two hits Friday at Jackson Field, the Great Lakes Loons offense was looking for a rebound.

With seven runs on 14 hits Saturday night, they got one.

The Loons registered a hit in every inning but the first, and the pitching staff shut out the Lansing Lugnuts through seven frames, as they roll to a 7-3 victory.

Great Lakes (49-31, 9-5 second half) began its scoring in the fourth inning. Kekai Rios led off the frame with a single, then a double from Aldrich De Jongh put two men in scoring position with nobody out. After an out, Ismael Alcantara hit a sacrifice fly to open the scoring. With two outs, Imanol Vargas walked, then Alex De Jesus drove in a pair with a single to bring the Loons’ advantage to 3-0.

The Loons, High-A partner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, extended that advantage in the very next fame. Rios advanced to first on a dropped third strike, then De Jongh homered on the next pitch, his fifth of the year. That spelled the end of the day for righty starter Blake Beers (L, 0-3), who allowed five runs (four earned) on seven hits and three walks in 4 1-3 innings, striking out eight along the way.

Lansing (31-49, 6-8) was stifled by Loons starter Nick Nastrini (W, 2-2) in one of the best starts of his pro career. Nastrini allowed four hits and a lone walk over six innings, keeping the Lugnuts scoreless while punching out seven.

Great Lakes got an unearned run in the sixth inning to pad its lead, then padded it again in the seventh. De Jesus registered another RBI on his third hit of the game to put the visitors ahead, 7-0.

The Lugnuts, High-A affiliate of the Oakland Athletics, scored a run in the eighth inning, and two in the ninth, to make things interesting. With men on the corners, two outs and the tying run in the on-deck circle, Jeff Belge (SV, 4) entered the game and struck out the lone batter he faced to confirm the win for Great Lakes.

The Loons offense was terrific Saturday, with every batter in the order registering at least one hit. Rios, De Jongh and Jorbit Vivas each had a pair of knocks, while De Jesus went 3-for-6 with three RBIs.

The pitching performance was also solid, with a combined 11 strikeouts and just three walks issued. Lansing collected 10 hits in the game, but none were for extra bases.

Great Lakes snaps a two-game skid, but they still trail in the series, three games to two. The Loons can secure a series split with a win Sunday afternoon at Jackson Field. Loons lefty Lael Lockhart (2-0, 2.31 ERA) squares off with Lansing right-hander Jake Walkinshaw (0-0, 1.50 ERA) for a 1:05 p.m. first pitch. Pregame coverage begins with the Loons On-Deck Circle, driven by Garber Chevrolet Midland, at 12:50 p.m. on ESPN 100.9-FM.

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.