Loons Complete First Half with 9-4 Win, Finish 45-20 overall

Comstock Park, Mich.– The Great Lakes Loons (45-20) posted six runs in the third inning, the highlight of a nine-run 13-hit performance whipping the West Michigan Whitecaps (32-33) 9-4 on an 80-degree Thursday night at LMCU Ballpark.

The Loons finalized the first half of the 2023 Midwest League season with a 45-20 record. Great Lakes posted a .692 winning percentage in the half, the best mark in franchise history.

In the third inning tonight, the Loons strung together six straight hits. Griffin Lockwood-Powell started things with a walk, followed by a one-out single from Chris Alleyne. Max Hewitt followed clubbing an RBI ground-rule double to left-center to give the Loons a 3-2 lead. Frank Rodriguez rifled a single to centerfield to bring Alleyne home. West Michigan’s Williander Moreno was pulled for Angel Reyes.

Reyes gave Jake Vogel an 0-2 pitch over the plate he drove to left field for an RBI single. With Rodriguez and Vogel aboard, Chris Newell sliced a two-run triple down the right-field line. His ninth extra-base hit in his 19th game with Great Lakes. Luis Diaz made his third plate appearance of the night and delivered his third single, scoring Newell to make it 8-2.

Great Lakes offensively tallied three additional runs. An RBI double from Griffin Lockwood-Powell in the first inning, an RBI base knock from Luis Diaz in the second, and an RBI single off the bat of Chris Alleyne in the sixth.

The Whitecaps did lead this game after the first inning, with a two-out double from Josh Crouch, after two walks put two on from Maddux Bruns. The left-hander bounced back after that, striking out four across the next two innings, six in total.

Crouch would also drive in two against Orlando Ortiz, the two runs he permitted. The right-hander punched out five West Michigan batters, through four innings. The 25-year-old has a 3.33 ERA through 46 innings in 2023.

Christian Suarez and Juan Morillo collected the final six outs. Suarez faced the minimum while Morillo loaded the bases on three walks and worked out of it for a clean frame.

Great Lakes are winners of the first three in this six-game series and face-off against West Michigan in game four tomorrow Friday, June 23rd. The first pitch is at 6:35 p.m.

The Great Lakes Loons have been the Single-A partner of the Los Angeles Dodgers since the team’s inception in 2007. Dow Diamond serves as the team’s home and also houses the Michigan Baseball Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit public charity, and ESPN 100.9-FM. For tickets or information about the Loons, call 989-837-BALL or visit Loons.com.