Loons shower Lugs with HRs in rain-shortened 8-2 loss

MIDLAND, MI – Brandon Lewis, Ryan Ward and Deacon Liput homered in consecutive innings, and the Great Lakes Loons (31-24) defeated the Lansing Lugnuts (25-30), 8-2, in eight innings on Tuesday night at Dow Diamond.

Heavy rain had been anticipated during the game, and it arrived in a fury after the eighth inning. After a 30-minute delay, the game was halted early.

Lugnuts starter David Leal struck out seven Loons in five innings, but was victimized by the top homer-hitting team in the High-A Central.

With James Outman at first and one out in the bottom of the second inning, Lewis took Leal deep to left for a 2-0 lead, a 442-foot shot for his third home run of the year. With one out in the third inning, Ward swatted a solo shot to the right, his tenth homer of the season. And with Outman at third base in the fourth inning and one out, lefty Liput went opposite-field for a 5-0 Loons lead, his sixth home run of the season.

Great Lakes added three runs on four hits in the sixth against Sam Romero.

The Lugnuts, meanwhile, were stymied by Loons starter Landon Knack, who gave up two hits – a Max Schuemann first-inning single and a Michael Guldberg fourth-inning single – in six shutout innings, striking out six.

Lansing’s only runs came in the seventh, thanks to Jordan Díaz’s sixth home run of the year, a two-run shot off reliever Jake Cantleberry.

In defeat, Brandon Withers tossed two scoreless innings for the Lugnuts, striking out two and allowing one hit.

The Nuts send right-hander Seth Shuman (1.85 ERA) to the mound at 7:05 p.m. on Wednesday night, the second game of the six-game series, opposed by Great Lakes right-hander Clayton Beeter (4.15 ERA).

The next Lugnuts home game will be on Tuesday, July 13, vs. the Lake County Captains, opening a six-game homestand. To purchase tickets, visit lansinglugnuts.com or call (517) 485-4500.

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