Susac smashes two, Nuts edge Loons by one
LANSING, Mich. – Catcher Daniel Susac slugged a pair of two-run homers, helping the Lansing Lugnuts (18-25, 49-59) score six unanswered runs to beat the Great Lakes Loons (20-23, 65-43), 6-5, in the opener of a six-game series on Tuesday night at Jackson® Field™. The game was delayed 25 minutes
LANSING, Mich. – Catcher Daniel Susac slugged a pair of two-run homers, helping the Lansing Lugnuts (18-25, 49-59) score six unanswered runs to beat the Great Lakes Loons (20-23, 65-43), 6-5, in the opener of a six-game series on Tuesday night at Jackson® Field™.
The game was delayed 25 minutes at the start by rain, and Kenneth Betancourt did his best to dampen home spirits further with a two-out, three-run double in the first inning off Mitch Myers.
But Myers shut out the Loons the next three innings, Brock Whittlesey followed with two scoreless innings of his own, and the Lugnuts’ offense awoke behind the power of the 2022 Athletics first-rounder from the University of Arizona.
In the third inning, Clark Elliott doubled off Great Lakes starter Maddux Bruns, took second on a Junior Pérez bunt single, and Jacob Wilson brought him in with a sacrifice fly, trimming the lead to 3-1.
.@danielsusac10 blasts off against Maddux Bruns! 🚀#GoNuts 🔩 pic.twitter.com/Z85QIBQFT4
— Lansing Lugnuts (@LansingLugnuts) August 16, 2023
In the fifth, Elliott walked, took third on a Pérez double, and scored on a Wilson groundout. Susac followed with his sixth home run of the year, crushing a Bruns breaking ball out to left to put the Lugnuts up 4-3.
And in the seventh, Wilson led off with a single against reliever Juan Morillo and Susac followed with a no-doubt drive to right-center, supplying important insurance.
The Loons thought tonight was a simple baseball game.
— Lansing Lugnuts (@LansingLugnuts) August 16, 2023
It's a @danielsusac10 LAUNCH PARTY.
No. 2 of the night, out to right-center!#goNuts 🔩 pic.twitter.com/cwZEQF9Odw
Great Lakes drew within one run in the eighth on a Griffin Lockwood-Powell RBI double and Jake Vogel RBI single against Christian Fernandez and Pedro Santos respectively. Santos bore down and stranded a pair of Loons to end the eighth, retiring Alex Freeland on a flyout to left, and then struck out two in a perfect ninth to notch his third save.
In the win, Susac finished 2-for-4 with four RBIs and an intentional walk in his final plate appearance; Elliott went 2-for-3 with a walk, a single, a double and two runs scored; Pérez went 2-for-5 with a single, a double and three steals; Wilson went 2-for-3 with a single, a double, an HBP and two runs batted in; and, in his Lugnuts debut, second baseman Colby Halter went 0-for-3 with a walk.
Wednesday is a Dog Days of Summer, with dogs welcome to the ballpark, and featuring a matchup of Lansing right-hander Jose Dicochea against Great Lakes right-hander Hyun-il Choi. First pitch is at 7:05 p.m. with the gates opening at 6 p.m. Tickets are available at the stadium box office, via lansinglugnuts.com or by calling (517) 485-4500.
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