Butler ends long day at the ballpark with walkoff winner

LANSING**, Mich. –* *Jonny Butler* singled home pinch-runner *Cole Conn* with the game-winning run in the bottom of the seventh inning, helping the Lansing Lugnuts (22-26, 54-59) split a doubleheader with the West Michigan Whitecaps (27-20, 58-55), losing 6-1 and winning 2-1, on a *long Sunday at Jackson® Field™.

Team personnel arrived for both the Lugnuts and Whitecaps by 9 a.m. for an expected 1:05 p.m. start, but first pitch for Game 1 was pushed back nearly four hours due to a series of pop-up storms, moving from the scheduled 1:05 p.m. to the actual start time of 5:03 p.m.

When Conn raced home to conclude the night, it was 9:42 p.m.

The fans that remained from the initial crowd of 4,335 witnessed a thrilling finish. With the score tied 1-1 entering the home half of the seventh, West Michigan shortstop Jim Jarvis muffed an inning-opening grounder from CJ Rodriguez off reliever Carlos Marcano, putting the tying run aboard. Conn replaced Rodriguez on the bases, moving up to second on a sacrifice from 20-year-old Ángel Arévalo in his first Lugnuts start.

Butler followed with his second game-winning hit of the season, drilling a Marcano pitch to the right field wall. Conn scored with ease, touching off a wild celebration up the right side. It was the Lugnuts’ fourth walkoff victory of the year, but their first since May 28.

Starter Jake Garland tossed four innings of one-run ball, striking out three, and Grant Judkins followed with three scoreless one-hit innings to put the Lugnuts in position to win the game. Ryan Lasko’s RBI double in the third inning had supplied Lansing’s first run.
In Game 1, Sahid Valenzuela singled in T.J. Schofield-Sam in the second inning for a 1-0 lead – but the Whitecaps responded with two runs in the fourth and one in the fifth off Mitch Myers, one in the sixth off Micah Dallas and two runs in the seventh off Jack Owen for a comfortable victory.
The two clubs not only split the doubleheader, they halved the six-game series.

The Lugnuts next head out to the Quad Cities for a six-game series with the River Bandits running from August 20-25, returning to Michigan’s state capital for the final homestand of the year from August 27-September 1 against Fort Wayne. Forfurther information, visit milb.com/lansing or call (517) 485-4500.

# # #