Nuts score nine in 8th but fall short, 14-10

LANSING, Mich. – Trailing by 13 entering the eighth inning, the Lansing Lugnuts (9-10) exploded for nine runs before ultimately falling to the Dayton Dragons (8-11), 14-10, on Friday night at at Jackson® Field™.

The Lugnuts’ offense has scored 30 runs in the last three nights combined. 24 of those runs have been scored in the sixth inning or later.

The start of the night belonged to Dayton right-hander Rhett Lowder, the No. 7 overall pick in the 2023 draft, who limited Lansing to one unearned run while striking out nine in six innings.

The Dragons’ offense, in contrast, roared to three runs in the first inning, two in the second and one in the fourth against starter Blaze Pontes, four runs in the sixth against reliever Eduardo Rivera and four in the seventh against Rivera and reliever Dylan Hall.

But the Lugnuts would not go quietly. 13 Nuts batted in the eighth against Myles Gayman and Arij Fransen, tallying on consecutive RBI singles from Brayan Buelvas, Jonny Butler and Euribiel Ángeles, a two-run double from Carlos Amaya, and three run-scoring wild pitches.

Buelvas then led off the bottom of the ninth with a single against Fransen, but Butler, Ángeles and Danny Bautista, Jr. each flied out to end the game.

In defeat, Ángeles finished 3-for-4 and Will Simpson went 1-for-4 with a triple to extend his on-base streak to 17 games.

Dollar Deal Day arrives on Saturday, the fifth game of the six-game series: $1 hot dogs, $1 popcorn, and $1 16-oz. soft drinks. Gates open at 5 p.m. for a 6:05 p.m. first pitch between Lansing right-hander Jake Garland and Dayton right-hander Jared Lyons. Tickets are available for purchase at the Jackson® Field™ box office, available for purchase at (517) 485-4500 or online at milb.com/lansing.

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