In front of 8,127, Lugnuts school Chiefs 4-0

LANSING, Mich. – With a season-high crowd of 8,127 in attendance on the third of three Grand Slam School Days, Luis Morales, Jacob Watters and Hunter Breault collaborated on a three-hit, zero-walk shutout in a Lansing Lugnuts (24-23) 4-0 victory over the Peoria Chiefs (15-32) on Wednesday afternoon at Jackson® Field™.

The Lugnuts have opened the series with two straight wins over Peoria, following Tuesday’s walkoff with a brisk two-hour, eight-minute gem.

This was Lansing’s second shutout of the year; the first was on Opening Night, April 5, at Dayton

Morales set the tone, allowing only one base runner in three innings – a two-out first-inning Brody Moore single. Watters was even better, needing only 39 pitches to blank the Chiefs from the fourth inning through the eighth, striking out four while a sixth-inning infield single to William Sullivan and an eighth-inning one-out single to Darlin Moquete (promptly erased by a double play). Breault finished things off with a 1-2-3 ninth, striking out Alex Iadisernia to end the game.

Peoria starter Brycen Mautz was superb himself, fanning six batters in seven innings. But Luke Mann singled with one out in the seventh and scored the game’s first run two batters later on a Danny Bautista, Jr. infield single and a throwing error by third baseman Michael Curialle.

The Nuts added three runs in the eighth inning against Gustavo Rodriguez and Dionys Rodriguez, thanks to an Euribiel Ángeles RBI single, Colby Halter RBI double and Cole Conn sacrifice fly.

Third baseman Mann and catcher Conn enjoyed successful High-A debuts, with Mann finishing 1-for-3 with a walk and a run scored and Conn going 1-for-3 with an RBI.

The Lugnuts send right-hander Luis Carrasco to the mound at 7:05 p.m. Thursday for the third game of the six-game series, opposed by Peoria lefty Quinn Matthews on a Coors Light Thirsty Thursday. Gates open at 6 p.m. For tickets and further information, visit milb.com/lansing or call (517) 485-4500.

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