Loons Rally Falls Short

LANSING, Mich. - The Loons battled back from a 4-0 deficit, but the Lansing Lugnuts scored two runs in the seventh inning to win 6-4 on a bitterly cold Saturday evening at Cooley Law School Stadium.
Lansing grabbed a 4-0 lead in the first two innings, despite zero hits, thanks to erratic pitching. Loons righty starter Riley Ottesen was pulled in the first inning after throwing three of 27 pitches for strikes. He walked six and threw three wild pitches.
The Loons fared little better in the second inning as Lansing drew four more walks in the frame and scored a run on an error by third baseman Jared Walker. Lansing drew 10 walks in the first two frames and 12 total in the game.
The offense found its footing beginning in the third inning against Lansing southpaw Zach Logue. Starling Heredia doubled a run home in the third inning, and Carlos Rincon homered for the first time this season in the fourth to make the score 4-2.
Righty reliever Wills Montgomerie aided the Loons' cause vastly with four shutout innings of bullpen relief, complete with three walks and five strikeouts.
Walker redeemed his fielding error with a two-run bomb to right in the top of the sixth to tie the game at 4-4, albeit briefly.
In spite of a dozen walks allowed, the Loons did not allow a Lugnuts' hit until the seventh inning when Ryan Noda led off with a double versus Dodgers seventh-round draft choice Zach Pop. One batter later, Kevin Smith singled to break the tie. The Lugnuts scored an insurance run later in the frame on a throwing error to third by catcher Garrett Hope, who tried to pick off Smith at the bag.
The Loons wrap up their series in Lansing with a doubleheader (two seven-inning games) at 1:05 p.m. Coverage can be heard on ESPN 100.9-FM, ESPN1009.com, Loons.com and on mobile devices using the TuneIn App.
The Loons will return to Dow Diamond next weekend for a three-game homestand against the Dayton Dragons on April 13-15. Friday's game will begin at 6:05 p.m., while Saturday and Sunday will both be matinees starting at 2:05 p.m.
The Great Lakes Loons have been the 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.