Schofield-Sam drives Nuts to season-ending victory

COMSTOCK PARK, Mich. – T.J. Schofield-Sam slugged a go-ahead three-run homer, and the Lansing Lugnuts (27-39, 59-72) closed out 2024 with a 4-2 triumph over the West Michigan Whitecaps (37-28, 68-63) on Sunday afternoon at LMCU Ballpark.

DH Schofield-Sam drove in all four runs in helping the Nuts halt an eight-game losing streak and avert a six-game sweep.

The next Lugnuts game is 206 days away: the Crosstown Showdown against Michigan State University, arriving April 1, 2025.

Izaac Pacheco homered in the second inning off Lansing starter Luis Morales and – after a Schofield-Sam RBI single tied the game in the sixth – Roberto Campos homered in the seventh off Blaze Pontes to give the Whitecaps a 2-1 lead.

Luke Mann led off the eighth inning with a walk off reliever Eiker Huizi. After CJ Rodriguez lined out to center, Casey Yamauchi broke an 0-for-28 slump with a single to left field. That brought up Schofield-Sam, who launched his second High-A home run out to right field, lifting the Lugnuts into the lead.

Diego Barrera relieved Garrett Irvin following a leadoff walk in the home eighth and set down Seth Stephenson, Max Clark and Max Anderson in order, then erased a leadoff single in the ninth with a double-play ball from Campos before ending the game, the losing streak and the season with a groundout to second from Pacheco.

Starter Morales struck out three batters in three innings in a no-decision; Pontes followed with 3 1/3 innings of three-hit ball, striking out three batters himself.

The Nuts’ offense finished with ten hits and six walks, led by a three-hit game from Schofield-Sam and two-hit showings from Rodriguez and shortstop Josh Kuroda-Grauer.

For further information on the Lugnuts throughout the offseason, visit milb.com/lansing or call (517) 485-4500.

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