Sky Carp Scarcely Top Loons, In Third Straight Extra-Inning Game

MIDLAND, Mich. – For the third straight night, the Great Lakes Loons (24-19) and the Beloit Sky Carp (20-22) went ten innings, a wild pitch by the Loons gave the Sky Carp a run that held for a 5-4 win on a 77-degree partly cloudy Friday night at Dow Diamond.

Great Lakes batters struck out 19 times, a season-worst. Beloit’s Xavier Meachum worked around a walk, getting two flyouts and a game-ending punchout. The Sky Carp run was their placed runner Jake Thompson. He moved to third after a double play, and Lucas Wepf, on a 0-2, threw it low and away, with Thompson scoring after it rolled to the backstop.

In the top of the ninth, Chris Newell launched his 13th home run, the league leader. The solo shot was the tying run in the ninth to put the game to extras. Great Lakes was down 4-0 and knotted it up.

Thayron Liranzo walked for a second time in the game, the fifth time in the series, to start the comeback in the bottom of the sixth. He was followed by Sam Mongelli, who rifled a ball to left-center field, scoring Liranzo. Mongelli had three hits, all singles. It was the one run off Karson Milbrandt, who struck out a career-high nine batters.

The Loons' next two came in the seventh on a throwing error. After a Dylan Campbell single and Noah Miller walk the duo went in motion. Beloit reliever Evan Taylor threw to third, wildly into left field, allowing both runners to score. Great Lakes got back-to-back two-out singles, but a strikeout ended the threat, keeping it 4-3.

The Sky Carp scored in just two innings, two runs in the fifth and sixth inning, respectively. Each inning saw a two-run single. Yiddi Cappe off Loons starter Jackson Ferris in the fifth and Sam Praytor against Kelvin Bautista in the sixth. Ferris went five innings for the third time this season, adding five strikeouts. Ferris has 10.70 strikeouts per nine, third best in the MWL.

Rounding Things Out

Great Lakes has not played three consecutive extra-inning games in a decade.

Up Next

With the series even at two, the Loons and Sky Carp play tomorrow Saturday, May 25th. The first pitch is at 7:05 pm. It is the Loons Invitational presented by the Dow Championship, as Dow Diamond will have a six-hole Putt-Putt on the concourse. Saturday will also be a Fireworks Loontacular, Farm Bureau Insurance of Michigan.

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.