SilverHawks Slip Past Lugnuts

LANSING - After seeing a 4-2 lead evaporate on a Brian Pettway two-run bomb in the eighth, South Bend scratched two runs across the plate in the top half of the ninth inning to take a 6-4 decision over the Lansing Lugnuts Friday night before 2,319 at Oldsmobile Park.

Richard Mercado led the ninth off with a single and scored on a Trey Hendricks pinch hit double that allowed the SilverHawks to regain the lead at 5-4. Hendricks later scored on a Leyson Septimo single to right field that gave South Bend its final run of the game.

Pettway hit his first homer of the season onto Larch Street beyond right field in the eighth after Joey Metropoulos doubled to left-center field. His home run made the score 4-4 at the time.

South Bend scored twice in the second inning to take an early lead. East Lansing native Travis Gulick doubled to right-center field to lead the frame off and scored when Frank Curreri followed suit with a double of his own. Curreri would come home to score on a throwing error by Lugnuts pitcher Adrian Martin.

Yesson Berroa (0-1) took the loss for Lansing (6-3) after giving up the two runs in the ninth.

Kyle Wright (1-0) picked up the win for South Bend (5-4) despite serving up the homer to Pettway. Jonathan Valverde notched his third save of the season.

The Lugnuts and SilverHawks will play the rubber matchup of the three game series on Saturday afternoon at 2:05 p.m. Southpaw A.J. Wideman (0-0, 3.00 ERA) will take the ball for the Lugnuts. The SilverHawks will counter with lefty Ryan Schreppel (0-1, 7.20 ERA).