LANSING, Mich. - Kevin Vicuña lined a game-tying RBI double and scored the go-ahead run on a Samad Taylor triple in a pivotal seventh inning, sending the Lansing Lugnuts (31-17) past the Fort Wayne TinCaps (21-26), 5-4, on Friday evening at Cooley Law School Stadium, opening a seven-game homestand.The Lugnuts have
LANSING, Mich. - Kevin Vicuña lined a game-tying RBI double and scored the go-ahead run on a Samad Taylor triple in a pivotal seventh inning, sending the Lansing Lugnuts (31-17) past the Fort Wayne TinCaps (21-26), 5-4, on Friday evening at Cooley Law School Stadium, opening a seven-game homestand.
The Lugnuts have won four of five games this season against Fort Wayne.
Gabriel Arias's two-run triple off Maximo Castillo in the sixth inning had given the TinCaps a 4-3 lead, completing a comeback from three runs down.
But Chavez Young opened the seventh inning against reliever Jordan Guerrero (Blown Save, 4; Loss, 0-1) with a single and stole second base. Vicuña followed with a frozen rope down the right field line, leveling the score at 4-4. Guerrero rebounded to strike out Kevin Smith and retire Brock Lundquist on a flyout to left, with Vicuña moving to third. That brought up Taylor, who jumped on the first pitch he received and crushed it to right-center to give the Lugnuts the lead for good.
Castillo (Win, 3-1) was superb aside from Arias's triple. The 19-year-old pitched the final five innings, allowing two hits, three walks and two runs, and striking out four.
Lansing starter Donnie Sellers tossed the first four innings in a no-decision, giving up three hits, two walks and two runs.
Vicuña, Young, Taylor and Lundquist each collected two hits in the victory, with Vicuña and Taylor scoring a pair of runs.
Right-hander Colton Laws (4.50 ERA) starts the second game of the four-game series, facing TinCaps left-hander Tom Cosgrove (4.59) at 7:05 p.m. Saturday - an Eat-A-Palooza presented by Gordon Food Service, with all-you-can-eat inside the ballpark! To purchase tickets and live the Lug Life, visit lansinglugnuts.com or call (517) 485-4500.
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