Pauley slams Lugnuts in seven-run 6th

LANSING, Mich. – Graham Pauley hit a grand slam and Kervín Pichardo knocked a three-run homer in a game-changing sixth inning, and the Fort Wayne TinCaps (22-16, 54-50) defeated the Lansing Lugnuts (14-24, 45-58), 9-5, in front of 5,289 in a Wednesday matinee at Jackson® Field™.

The Lugnuts had scored five unanswered to turn around a 2-0 deficit, with three runs on four straight extra-base hits in the fourth inning – doubles from Clark Elliott, Carlos Amaya and T.J. Schofield-Sam and a triple from Junior Pérez – followed by a solo home run from Brennan Milone in the fifth. Both Pérez and Milone took their big swings against MLB rehabber Michel Báez, pitching in relief of Fort Wayne starter Edwuin Bencomo.

But Ethan Salas, Nerwilian Cedeño and Nathan Martorella opened the sixth with consecutive singles against Lansing starter Mitch Myers, and reigning Midwest League Player of the Week Pauley brought them all home with a drive out to Larch Street in right, catapulting the TinCaps into a stunning 6-5 lead.

Myers lasted one more batter, allowing a double to Lucas Dunn, before yielding to Stevie Emanuels. After a walk to Carlos Luis, Pichardo lined an Emanuels offering onto Home Run Hill in left.

Two batters later, Jakob Marsee doubled – and that, remarkably, was the final hit in the game for either team.

Emanuels struck out four in a row in completing two innings of relief, and Kumar Nambiar worked the eighth and ninth innings without allowing a base runner.

But the Lugnuts were similarly quieted by Fort Wayne’s pen duo of Tyler Morgan and Will Geerdes, with only two base runners in the final four innings: T.J. Schofield-Sam reached on a throwing error by second baseman Cedeño in the sixth inning and Pérez drew a two-out walk in the ninth.

In defeat, Pérez went 2-for-4 with a single, a triple, a walk and a stolen base, while catcher Amaya singled, doubled and scored two runs in his four at-bats.

The third game of the six-game series is set to be a memorable night: a Coors Light Thirsty Thursday / Lansing Facts Night with $1 hot dogs, $2 domestic drafts, $5 craft drafts, and an appearance from World Eating Champion Joey Chestnut, who will be challenged to set the world olive burger eating five-minute record. The Lugnuts will wear special Lansing Olive Burger jersey to mark the occasion. First pitch is at 7:05 p.m. with gates opening at 6 p.m.

In the starting matchup, Lansing right-hander Jose Dicochea faces Fort Wayne right Victor Lizarraga. Tickets are available at the stadium box office, via lansinglugnuts.com or by calling (517) 485-4500 during office hours.

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