Loons Dominate TinCaps 13-3, Split Series

Fort Wayne, Ind. – The Great Lakes Loons (63-38) (18-18) racked up 13 runs on 15 hits and 11 walks decimating the Fort Wayne TinCaps (52-50) (20-16) 13-3 on an 73-degree cloudy Sunday afternoon at Parkview Field.

The Loons started the day with three straight singles supporting a three-run first inning. Taylor Young to left field, Alex Freeland to right field, and Yeiner Fernandez to centerfield. A double play scored Young from third. Then with two outs and runners on the corners, Griffin Lockwood-Powell stepped up and sliced a two-run double. Lockwood-Powell has 24 extra-base hits in 70 games.

Fort Wayne tied up the game, getting two runs in the first inning and one in the second inning. Juan Morillo was the opener for Great Lakes, allowing a single, walk, and then an RBI single to Graham Pauley. Pauley stole second which forced an errant throw to second and permitted Nathan Martorella to score from third. Morillo struck out the final two batters he faced.

Jerming Rosario went the next four innings, giving up just one run. Juan Zabala went yard to lead off the second and tie it at three. He has five home runs, three against Great Lakes. Rosario worked around a baserunner in each of his frames. The right-hander struck out the side in the fourth after a TinCaps runner reached third following a single, wild pitch, and error.

From the third inning on, Great Lakes outscored Fort Wayne 10-0. The Loons took the lead with a Nick Biddison RBI double in the third. Biddison in six plate appearances, was retired once. Taylor Young’s sacrifice fly to right brought the score to 5-3 in the fourth inning.

Jake Vogel, with an 0-2 count with two outs in the sixth, crushed a towering 348-foot home run over the left field fence. The 21-year-old had three hits on the day and eight in the series. The Dodgers 2020 Third Round pick stole six bases in the six-game series, including one in the eighth with a bad throw helping Luis Guerra advance home.

Great Lakes tallied seven runs in the final two innings. Seven runners reached on walks, with Fort Wayne needing three pitchers. The ninth inning saw five runs, Griffin Lockwood-Powell and Chris Alleyne both delivered RBI singles.

The final four innings went to four different Loons relievers. Franklin De La Paz worked around bases loaded in the sixth. Michael Hobbs stranded a runner on second in the seventh with a strikeout. Lucas Wepf tossed an 11-pitch 1-2-3 eighth inning. Benony Robles, in his first appearance since July 27th, collected the final three outs, two via punchouts.

The Loons return home and play their first games at Dow Diamond in August beginning a six-game series against the West Michigan Whitecaps (Detroit Tigers) on Tuesday, August 8th. The first pitch is at 7:05 p.m. Tuesday is Kidney for Kids Night where the Loons commemorate the mission of recruiting 100 adult kidney donors for 100 children. It is presented by Garber Automotive Group.

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.