Lansing Pitching Shines in 4-1 Win Over Cedar Rapids

Lansing, MI - After tossing a no-hitter on Thursday, Lugnuts pitching held the Kernels to just one run Friday in a 4-1 win over Cedar Rapids.

After a scoreless top of the first inning, Lansing did not waste time getting on the board in the bottom of the first frame. A Johnny Butler single opened the first inning, and after a pair of walks loaded the bases, Cameron Masterman got the Lugnuts on the board first with an RBi single. The next batter, Euribiel Angeles, then doubled the Lansing lead with an RBI groundout.

That was the only lead Lansing needed. Chen Zhong-Ao Zhuang got the start for Lansing and picked his first win with the Lugnuts, allowing just one run in five innings of work. Behind him, Mitch Myers and Hunter Breault combined to go four shutout innings the rest of the way to cap off the 4-1 win.

Cedar Rapids got its lone run of the game in the top of the fourth. Agustin Ruiz singled to begin the frame, and after a Kevin Maitan single moved him to third, he came home to score on a Misael Urbina RBI groundout to cut the Lansing lead to 2-1.

But that was the closest the Kernels would get. In the fifth, an error put Luke Mann on second, and he scored two batters later on an Angeles RBI single.

In the eighth, Cole Conn singled, stole second, moved up to third on an error and later came home to score on a Danny Bautista Jr. sac fly to increase the Lansing lead to 4-1, the score which would be the final.

The loss in the second straight for the Kernels in the series at Lansing as Cedar Rapids drops to 34-26 on the season. Game five of the series is set for Saturday at 6:05 with Jordan Carr on the mound opposite Luis Morales.