Locos rally to split Sunday double dip, win series
LANSING, Mich. – Jonny Butler’s two-out two-run triple broke a fifth-inning tie, and helped the Lansing Locos (11-9) split a doubleheader with the Quad Cities River Bandits (9-11) winning Game 2, 6-4, after dropping the opener, 6-2, on Sunday afternoon at Jackson® Field™. Lansing won four of six games against
LANSING, Mich. – Jonny Butler’s two-out two-run triple broke a fifth-inning tie, and helped the Lansing Locos (11-9) split a doubleheader with the Quad Cities River Bandits (9-11) winning Game 2, 6-4, after dropping the opener, 6-2, on Sunday afternoon at Jackson® Field™.
Lansing won four of six games against the River Bandits in the series, the first meetings between the two teams since 2019 and Lansing’s first series victory against Quad Cities since 2016.
.@jonnybutler333 is all over today's highlight reel, helping the Locos halve today's doubleheader and win the series vs. Quad Cities.
— Lansing Lugnuts (@LansingLugnuts) April 30, 2023
Add in a monster home run from Euribiel Ángeles and key relief from @johnbeller6, and you have the recipe for a perfect end to the weekend.
📽️🔩 pic.twitter.com/ai6vkkV7GR
In Game 1, the River Bandits broke a 1-1 tie with a four-run fourth-inning rally against pitchers Jacob Watters and Tyler Baum, thanks to one single, one HBP, one walk and two Lansing errors, prevailing over the Locos despite Daniel Susac’s second home run of the year.
Starting pitcher Watters tossed three-plus innings, departing three batters into the fourth, allowing four runs (three earned) on two hits and three walks with four strikeouts. Baum allowed one unearned run through two hitless innings before Jack Owen gave up a run on two hits in the sixth and Hunter Breault worked a scoreless seventh.
In Game 2, a third-inning grand slam from Cayden Wallace off Blake Beers vaulted the River Bandits into a 4-3 lead, looking for the doubleheader sweep and a third straight win.
But after left fielder Butler threw out River Town at the plate attempting to score on a flyout to end the top of the fifth inning, the Locos tied the game in the bottom of the fifth on an Alexander Campos double, back-to-back walks to Caeden Trenkle and Sahid Valenzuela, and a run-scoring wild pitch tossed by Eric Cerantola. Butler followed with a triple to deepest center, bringing in Trenkle and Valenzuela for the lead.
Quad Cities threatened in the seventh, loading the bases with one out for Wallace. But John Beller relieved Jorge Juan and coaxed a 6-4-3 double play from Wallace, ending the game.
After a day off on Monday, Lansing will welcome in the Dayton Dragons for a six-game homestand running from Tuesday, May 2, through Sunday, May 7. For more information, visit lansinglugnuts.com or call (517) 485-4500.
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