Stagnant Offense Spells End of Seven-Game Winning Streak

Loons muster just one run, lose despite allowing only one earned run

By Noah Wolf

May 12, 2022

All good things must come to an end. For the Great Lakes Loons, they had quite the good thing going: a seven-game winning streak. While their pitching staff had another excellent night, their offense struggled Thursday night at Classic Park in Eastlake, Ohio, and the Loons fell to the Lake

All good things must come to an end.

For the Great Lakes Loons, they had quite the good thing going: a seven-game winning streak.

While their pitching staff had another excellent night, their offense struggled Thursday night at Classic Park in Eastlake, Ohio, and the Loons fell to the Lake County Captains, 2-1.

The Captains (13-16) got out to an early 1-0 advantage in the second inning. Micael Ramirez reached on a one-out single, then scored on the first double of the season for Mike Amditis.

That was the lone run surrendered by Loons right-handed starter Gavin Stone, and he did not allow a baserunner after that second inning, either. Stone, the Dodgers’ No. 17 prospect per Baseball America, allowed three hits and a walk in his five innings of work while punching out six Captains.

The Loons (17-13) did not allow a baserunner in the third through seventh innings. After Stone was done in the fifth, Braydon Fisher tossed perfect frames in the sixth and seventh. Fisher punched out four batters, including all three that he faced in his final frame.

That excellent pitching left the door open for the Loons offense, and they finally got something going. Eddys Leonard hit a one-out home run in the eighth inning to tie the game at one, his third blast of the year.

The Great Lakes offense had plenty of chances before that, though. The Loons outhit the Captains, six to four, but lose nonetheless. The visitors had a baserunner in each of the first six innings, but could not score. They stranded nine runners in the game in total.

Lake County, affiliate of their neighbors in Cleveland, wasted no time responding to the Loons’ game-tying hit. In the bottom of the eighth inning, Mike Amditis led off the frame with a walk from Jake Cantleberry (L, 1-1), and was replaced at first base by a pinch runner, Connor Kokx. Kokx immediately advanced to second on a passed ball, then scored on an Angel Martinez double. That gave the Captains their lead which would be final.

Alaska Abney (W, 1-1) had come in for the final two outs of the eighth, and he pitched a perfect ninth inning to confirm the victory.

The Loons’ longest win streak of the season comes to an end at seven games, but they still lead the series in Lake County, 2-1, and the season series, 5-4. The Loons will look to right the ship and secure at least a series split on Friday night at Classic Park in Eastlake, Ohio, as the six-game series against the Captains continues. Two right-handers are scheduled to start: for Lake County, it’s Gavin Williams (2-1, 1.45 ERA), opposing Great Lakes righty Cole Percival (1-0, 2.18 ERA). First pitch is slated for 6:35 p.m., with pregame coverage on ESPN 100.9-FM beginning at 6:20 p.m. with the Loons On-Deck Circle, driven by Garber Chevrolet Midland.

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.