Loons Strikeout 17 TinCaps, Win Third In a Row

FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Great Lakes Loons (11-7) pitching generated swings and misses all game long, downing 17 Fort Wayne TinCaps (8-9) via strikes en route to a 5-1 win on a sunny 54-degree Thursday night at Parkview Field.

Loons starter Jared Karros notched a new career-high, eight strikeouts. The right-hander has made four starts, finishing five innings in every single one. Karros needed just three pitches on five of his eight punchouts. The 23-year-old nearly threw an immaculate inning in the first. He got two three-pitch strikeouts and then went up 0-2 on Griffin Doesrching, he worked a walk.

Three Great Lakes relievers followed. Brandon Neeck struck out two in the sixth and then worked around two walks and a wild pitch, letting in a run but stranding two in the seventh. Kelvin Bautista walked two and struck out two in the eighth and was followed up by Lucas Wepf. Wepf recorded a four-out save, all strikeouts. He now has 14 in 9.2 innings this season.

Offensively, the Loons scored four of their five runs and tallied half their hits in the fifth inning. Thayron Liranzo's flyball to right field was lost in the sun, a leadoff double. A Yunior Garcia single and Sam Mongelli walk loaded the bases with one out for Dylan Campbell. He looped a single to right field, scoring Liranzo, a throwing error plated Garcia.

Alex Freeland forced the next two runs. A RBI single to right field and then, with Kyle Nevin at third, executed a stolen base with two outs, taking second and Nevin across the plate. Nevin tacked on the fifth Great Lakes run in the ninth, an RBI single, scoring Garcia, who reached on his second single of the night.

Rounding Things Out

Alex Freeland now has six multi-hit games in 14 games played. He leads the Loons in that category.

Up Next

The Loons go for their fourth-straight win tomorrow Friday, April 26th. The first pitch is at 7:05 p.m.

The Great Lakes Loons have been 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 Sports Radio 100.9 The Mitt. For tickets or information about the Loons, call 989-837-BALL or visit Loons.com.