Loons Win Wild Ten-Inning Contest in Fort Wayne

Friday night at Parkview Field in Fort Wayne, Ind., the Fort Wayne TinCaps scored five runs in the final two regulation frames to erase a 5-0 Great Lakes Loons lead and sent the game to extras.

Not to be outdone, the Loons pushed five runs across in one inning – the top of the tenth.

Great Lakes wins Friday night, 10-6, in ten innings, to begin the second half of the Midwest League regular season.

The Loons (41-26, 1-0 second half) scored a run in the top of the first inning. With one out, Alex De Jesus and Diego Cartaya hit back-to-back doubles, the latter driving in the former, to put the visitors ahead, 1-0.

Those were the only hits allowed by Fort Wayne (27-40, 1-0) starter Efrain Contreras, who did walk a pair of batters, but struck out four in his three-inning start. The one run scored against him was earned.

Meanwhile, the Loons had a great start of their own, thanks to right-hander Kendall Williams. He tossed five innings of two-hit baseball, walking four batters and striking out three while blanking the TinCaps.

Great Lakes, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ High-A partner, pushed across a single run in the fourth and sixth innings. After a pair of walks to start the fourth and a wild pitch, Ismael Alcantara drove in Jose Ramos with a groundout. In the sixth, Eddys Leonard led off the frame with a double, advanced to third on a groundout, and scored on a wild pitch.

In the eighth inning, the Loons got some much-needed insurance. After a one-out Ramos double, Jonny Deluca blasted his 17th homer of the season to put Great Lakes ahead, 5-0.

Fort Wayne, High-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres, were not going to be counted out. In the bottom of the eighth inning, Antonio Knowles walked three batters while just recording one out. He gave way to Jeff Belge, who got the final two outs of the inning, but allowed all three inherited runners to score on three wild pitches, plus he walked a batter of his own. At that point, Great Lakes led 5-3, and Fort Wayne had just two hits, both off the bat of Robert Hassell III.

The TinCaps completed the comeback in the bottom of the ninth inning. After a leadoff walk and a strikeout, Corey Rosier collected the first hit for Fort Wayne since the third inning with a single, and reached second on a throw. With two men in scoring position, Hassell slapped a single the opposite way to score both runners and tie the game at five. Cole Percival (W, 3-1) was charged with his first blown save of the year.

The 10th inning was an explosion of offense for Great Lakes against righty reliever Luke Boyd (L, 0-3). De Jesus was placed on second base to being the frame, then the first five batters for the Loons all reached base. A Cartaya single and Leonard hit by pitch loaded the bases. Ramos drove in one with a single, as did DeLuca, then Imanol Vargas pushed a two-run single through to give the Loons a 10-5 advantage going into the bottom of the 10th.

Braydon Fisher walked a pair in the 10th inning, but got out of the frame with just the placed runner scoring, as the Loons squeak out with a 10-6 win.

For Loons pitching, it was certainly a night to forget. Great Lakes allowed six runs on just five hits. They walked 13 batters, setting a new season high and falling one base on balls short of a franchise record.

The offense has plenty to remember, though, including tying a season-best for hits in an inning with five in the 10th. Four Loons – Jorbit Vivas, Cartaya, Ramos and DeLuca – had multi-hit games. Ramos went 2-for-3 with a double, two walks, three runs and an RBI. DeLuca went 2-for-4 including his homer, two runs and three RBIs. DeLuca is now 7-for-13 on the series with two homers, three doubles, four runs and six RBIs.

The Loons now have a 3-1 lead in this six-game series, which continues Saturday at 6:35 p.m. at Parkview Field. Pregame coverage begins on ESPN 100.9-FM at 6:20 p.m. with the Loons On-Deck Circle, driven by Garber Chevrolet Midland. Great Lakes throws Ben Casparius (0-0, 5.91 ERA) as they look for the series win. Fort Wayne will start the reigning MWL Pitcher of the Week, southpaw Robert Gasser (3-7, 4.10 ERA).

The Great Lakes Loons have been a 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.