LANSING, Mich. - Kacy Clemens drilled an eighth-inning grand slam, but the Kane County Cougars (11-11) held off the Lansing Lugnuts (16-9), 6-5, on Tuesday night at Cooley Law School Stadium, opening a six-game homestand.The Cougars built up a 6-1 lead, scoring four runs in the fourth inning against Lugnuts
LANSING, Mich. - Kacy Clemens drilled an eighth-inning grand slam, but the Kane County Cougars (11-11) held off the Lansing Lugnuts (16-9), 6-5, on Tuesday night at Cooley Law School Stadium, opening a six-game homestand.
The Cougars built up a 6-1 lead, scoring four runs in the fourth inning against Lugnuts starter Turner Larkins (Loss, 1-3), and then adding a Luis Silverio home run in the fifth against Dany Jimenez and a Silverio RBI double in the seventh against Graham Spraker .
Meanwhile, Cougars starter Mack Lemieux (4 2/3 innings) and relievers Jordan Watson (Win, 1-1; 1 1/3 innings) and Matt Brill (1 2/3 innings) frustrated the Lugnuts, allowing only a Brock Lundquist fifth-inning RBI single and stranding 11 runners on base between the second and seventh innings.
Facing Brill in the eighth, Samad Taylor drilled a one-out double down the right-field line. Norberto Obeso (1-for-1, 3 walks) drew a free pass, and Chavez Young singled to load the bases. Kevin Vicuña whiffed for the second out. Clemens followed by hammering an opposite-field drive beneath the video board in left, his team-leading fifth home run of the year.
The Lugnuts could get no closer. Kane County reliever Matt Peacock (Save, 2) plunked Christian Williams but retired Kevin Smith on a fielder's choice to end the inning, and then set the side down in order in the ninth.
Nuts starter Larkins allowed four runs on seven hits and two walks in four innings in defeat, striking out four. Spraker tossed four innings out of the bullpen, giving up three hits, one run and one walk, while also striking out four.
Smith began the game on the bench, but entered for Cullen Large in the fourth inning and went 1-for-4 to extend his hitting streak to 12 games and his on-base streak to 23 games.
The Lugnuts and Cougars wake up early on a Winning Wednesday for the second game in their three-game series, a 10:35 a.m. Grand Slam School Day pitting Nuts left-hander Zach Logue (2.78 ERA) against Cougars right-hander Brian Shaffer (3.66). To purchase tickets and live the Lug Life, visit lansinglugnuts.com or call (517) 485-4500.
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