Loons Spread Their Wings

MIDLAND, Mich. -- Runs came early and often for the Great Lakes Loons on Friday night. Nine runs by the end of the 2nd inning to be exact. That was plenty against the South Bend Cubs as the Loons cruised to a 10-1 victory on Parks & Recreation Night.
Jim O'Heir, who plays Jerry Gergich in the NBC sitcom, added some flair to the evening and Great Lakes followed suite right out of the gate scoring four runs in the top of 1st. It was really nothing spectacular as Dillon Paulson reached on an error, Chris Roller was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and Luke Heyer singled to plate two runs.
While there were no literal fireworks after the game, the show really took off in the 2nd as a Jair Camargo double and a Dan Robinson two-run single bookended a five-run frame to put the Loons (37-21) ahead 9-0. And that was all they would need.
Camargo and Robinson each turned in three-hit nights, and they gave plenty of breathing room for starter John Rooney (W, 2-1) who threw five scoreless with seven strikeouts. The bullpen was equally up to the task as Drew Finley, Joel Inoa and Nathan Witt allowed just two hits the rest of the way to preserve the victory.
Looking ahead, the magic number sits at '6' to clinch a playoff spot with nine games remaining in the 1st half. The Loons hold a 3.0 game lead on the Lake County Captains for 1st place, while the Bowling Green Hot Rods are 3.5 games back. The number six represents any combination of Loons wins and Hot Rods losses that add up to six would clinch a spot in the postseason.
Dan Robinson: 3-for-4, 2B, 3 RBI
Jair Camargo: 3-for-5, 2B, RBI, 2 R
Niko Hulsizer: 3 BB, 3 R
John Rooney: 5.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 7 K
Saturday: Breast Cancer Awareness Day feat. Pink Out the Park
Sunday: Lou E's Kids Club Takeover feat. Mascot Madness; Pregame Youth Clinic
Monday: Military Monday; all active duty military and veterans eat for free
June 14: PRIDE Night; postgame concert by 'Valentiger'
June 15: Home Improvement Night feat. appearance by Richard Karn (Al Borland)
June 16: Prostate Cancer Awareness Day feat. postgame Father's Day catch on the field
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.