Loons Win Streak Closes at Five, Split Twin Bill with TinCaps

FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The Great Lakes Loons (11-9) and Fort Wayne TinCaps (5-15) each grabbed a game in the Saturday doubleheader, the Loons winning 2-0 in game one and the TinCaps 5-2 in game two on a 65-degree day at Parkview Field.

Austin Gauthier led off game one with a single, advancing to second on an error in right field and extending his hit streak to eight games. Yeiner Fernandez shot a ball past the sprawling TinCaps second baseman Lucas Dunn to score Gauthier and get Great Lakes going early.

In the third, Fernandez once more had a one-out single and was followed up by a Griffin Lockwood-Powell walk, the third from Fort Wayne’s Jairo Iriate. Taylor Young with two strikes and two outs, lined the ball up the middle to make it 2-0.

Loons starter Yon Castro sat down the first seven batters he faced. A bunt and throwing error from Castro in the third, was how the lone TinCap reached through the first four innings. Nathan Martorella had the only hit against Castro, who had four strikeouts in five innings throwing 70 pitches. The right-hander this season has allowed just five runs across 16 innings.

Great Lakes loaded the bases with no outs to start the seventh, which included a Dalton Rushing single to bring his on-base streak to 17 games. A diving play in centerfield by Jakob Marsee led to an 8-4 double play, and a strikeout ended the inning.

Antonio Knowles hurled a clean sixth, needing just 12 pitches throwing nine strikes. Christian Suarez closed out game one in the seventh, stranding the potential tying runners on base after a Fort Wayne single and Loons error. Suarez struck out Joshua Mears to give Great Lakes their fifth straight victory.

Game Two saw a similar start to game one with the Loons scoring in the first. Dalton Rushing walked to bring his on-base streak to 18 games, and with two outs, Griffin Lockwood-Powell speared a ball to deep left-center that one-hopped off the wall that brought Rushing home from first base.

The top of the second began with a Taylor Young walk, he would acquire his first of two stolen bases to move into scoring position. Jake Vogel during his first at-bat of the day, flared a ball into right that scored Young on the move with two down.

The TinCaps cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the second, with Colton Bender gaining a sixth pitch walk. Cole Cummings then lofted a ball to left field, Damon Keith was in the area but seemed to lose the ball as it sailed past him and fell on the grass as Bender scored.

The third was Fort Wayne’s big inning. With runners on the corners, with one out Nathan Martorella grounded one that was bobbled by second baseman Austin Gauthier. The runner from third scored and put two on for Joshua Mears. Mears connected on his third home run of the season, a three-run blast that made it 5-2.

Ryan Bergert after two permitted in the first two, worked a scoreless next three for the TinCaps. The best chance for Great Lakes came in the sixth, after loading the bases against Aaron Holiday. But a 6-4-3 double play concluded the frame.

Jake Vogel and Austin Gauthier, both reached in the seventh, but with two chances the Loons could not capitalize with the potential tying run at the plate.

The series finale is tomorrow Sunday, April 30th. First pitch is at 1:05 p.m. from Parkview Field.

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.