Lugnuts Pen Clips Loons, Win 4-3

MIDLAND, Mich. – The Great Lakes Loons (19-10) loaded the bases in the ninth but did not push across a run, as the Lansing Lugnuts (13-16) hung on for a 4-3 win on a 69-degree partly cloudy and windy Wednesday night at Dow Diamond.

The Loons stranded eight runners on base, leaving three in the ninth. Two walks and a Jake Vogel single positioned Great Lakes well with one out. Lansing’s Colton Johnson responded with a strikeout and then a defensive play by stopping a ball hit to the mound and throwing it to first. Will Simpson shallowed up the hard bounce in his midsection for the final out.

The Lugnuts had just three hits on the evening. Peter Heubeck gave up a leadoff double, with two walks and a sacrifice fly pushing a run home in the first. The sacrifice fly started a stretch of 11-in-a-row retired. The right-hander punched out five over four innings. Heubeck has 34 strikeouts through 22 innings.

Livan Reinoso struck out the side in the fifth, extending his scoreless streak to six innings. Christian Romero took the next three, working around a walk with a double play induced in the seventh. In the next frame, the first three Lansing batters reached, a fielder's choice and an error at third base gave the Lugnuts two runs and a 4-3 lead.

All three Loons runs were plated in the third inning. Kyle Nevin doubled to right-center, Thayron Liranzo walked, and Noah Miller sliced one to right, with an error aiding Nevin to score. A fielder's choice from Chris Newell and a Jake Gelof sac fly gave the Loons a 3-2 lead. It was Gelof’s first RBI as a Loon in his second game played.

Lansing’s Will Johnson struck out eight batters from the sixth to the eighth inning. Lugnuts pitchers punched out 11 Loons batters.

Rounding Things Out

Sam Mongelli with a walk in the ninth, extended his on-base streak to 14 games. Noah Miller had three hits and now has seven-mulit-hit games in 2024.

Up Next

Game three of the six game series is tomorrow Thursday, May 9th. First pitch is at 6:05 p.m. Thursday is a Thirsty Thursday, with half-off beer all night, presented by JP O'Sullivan.

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.