CMU's Marsee fires up Fort Wayne past Lugs

LANSING, Mich. – Former Central Michigan Chippewa Jakob Marsee reached base four times, including a game-opening home run and an important insurance run, and the Fort Wayne TinCaps (21-16, 53-50) opened a six-game series with a 3-2 victory over the Lansing Lugnuts (14-23, 45-57) on Tuesday night at Jackson® Field™.

The game was the first of 12 home games in a 13-day span for the Lugnuts, who have only 29 games remaining in the regular season.

Marsee, the San Diego Padres’ sixth-round selection in the 2022 draft, finished the game 3-for-3 with a walk, two singles and his tenth home run of the season, lofted over the right field ribbon board to give Fort Wayne an immediate 1-0 lead against Lansing starter Jake Garland.

The TinCaps increased their lead to 2-0 on an Anthony Vilar RBI single in the second inning, but managed nothing further against Garland, who allowed only three hits in total in five innings and set down the final eight batters he faced.

But the Lugnuts were held to a third-inning unearned run against 19-year-old TinCaps starter Robby Snelling in five innings of work.

Marsee led off the sixth against Mac Lardner with a single, moved to second on a Nerwilian Cedeño single, took third on a Nathan Martorella flyout to center and scored on a Graham Pauley fielder’s choice, sliding in safely for a 3-1 lead as second baseman Joshwan Wright bounced a throw to catcher C.J. Rodriguez.

The Nuts made the game interesting late, pulling within one run on a Danny Bautista, Jr. RBI groundout in the eighth.

In the top of the ninth, center fielder Junior Pérez threw out Joshua Mears at the plate attempting to score on a Kervín Pichardo two-out single.

But Keegan Collett pitched a perfect bottom of the ninth, striking out Colby Thomas and Euribiel Ángeles to sew up the TinCaps win.

In the loss, first baseman Bautista, Jr. finished 0-for-4, ending his 13-game hitting streak and 18-game on-base streak.

Wednesday is a Summer Fun Day on a Dog Days of Summer, with first pitch at 1:05 p.m. and gates opening at noon. Lansing right-hander Mitch Myers (4.42 ERA) faces off with TinCaps northpaw Edwuin Bencomo (5.55) in the starting matchup. Tickets are available via lansinglugnuts.com or by calling (517) 485-4500 during office hours.

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