Lugnuts Drop Devil Rays in Doubleheader
Lugnuts Drop Devil Rays in Doubleheader
Lansing Allows One Run in Twin Bill
LANSING- The Lansing Lugnuts took both ends of a doubleheader over the Southwest Michigan Devil Rays at Oldsmobile Park on Wednesday night. Lansing has now won eight consecutive games, its longest winning streak of the year.
The Lugnuts shutout Southwest Michiganin game one 5-0. The win marked the third straight game that the Lansing pitching staff had tossed a shutout.
Billy Carnline threw six innings of two hit baseball in the game while fanning five batters in the process. Carnline has now thrown 19 straight innings without allowing an earned run.
Lansing plated two runs in the third inning. Yuber Rodriguez led the frame off with a walk for the Lugnuts. After stealing second base, he came home on a Hunter Vick error that allowed Sean Shoffit to reach safely and give the Lugnuts a 1-0 lead. Luke Hetherington then ripped a double into right-center field that scored Shoffit from first base to push the lead to 2-0.
Three more runs came home in the third when the Lugnuts loaded the bases with nobody out. A balk by Southwest Michigan's Mike Wlodarczyk allowed Josh Bell to score to make the score 3-0. Then Cory Patton smacked a double into right field that plated two more runs to extend the lead to 5-0.
Lansing took game two of the doubleheader using another great pitching performance in a 2-1 extra inning win.
With the bases loaded in the ninth and one out, Luke Hetherington lifted a sacrifice fly to left field to plate the game winning run in Jacob Butler.
The Lugnuts dodged a Devil Rays' threat in the top half of the ninth when Southwest Michigan put runners at second and third with nobody out. When Rhyne Hughes grounded out to first base, Garrett Groce tried to advance to third base, however J.T. Hall had not moved. Groce was then caught in a rundown when Hall broke for home, where he barrelled over Lansing catcher Brian Bormaster. Bormaster held on to the baseball, and the Lugnuts were able to work out of the jam.
Lansing tied the game at 1-1 in the fourth inning when David Hicks ripped an RBI single in right field to score Anthony Hatch. Hicks then got caught in a rundown as well, and Cory Patton broke for home. Patton bulled over the Devil Rays' catcher Alex Jamieson, who also held on to the ball to keep the score at 1-1.
Chi-Hung Cheng started for Lansing, tossing six innings and allowing one run while fanning six.
Jake McGee had a solid start for the Rays by throwing six innings while surrendering one run on five hits. He struck out 10 Lugnuts.
Lansing (33-18) will look to sweep the series over Southwest Michigan (25-27) on Thursday evening. Kristian Bell (3-3, 4.73 ERA) will start for the Lugnuts, while Wade Davis (3-1, 1.00 ERA) will take the hill for the Rays. It will be a Molson Thirsty Thursday, where beer and soda will be on sale for $2. First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. at Oldsmobile Park.
Courtesy of the Lugnuts PR!