Judkins whiffs eight, Nuts win third straight

LANSING, Mich. – Grant Judkins struck out eight batters in 5 2/3 scoreless innings, and the Lansing Lugnuts (21-15) rode a five-run fifth to a 6-2 win over the South Bend Cubs (9-27) on Thursday night at Jackson® Field™.

The Lugnuts’ third straight win in the series dropped South Bend’s road record for the season to 1-17.

The tone was set by the Lugnuts’ right-handed starter from Iowa, who struck out the side in the first inning on his way to tying his season high for strikeouts. Judkins limited South Bend to just a pair of hits and a walk before departing two outs into the sixth inning due to pitch count.

The Midwest League’s leading hitter, Lansing first baseman T.J. Schofield-Sam, delivered an RBI single in the third inning for a 1-0 lead and added a sacrifice fly in the five-run fifth-inning rally. Schofield-Sam finished the game 1-for-3, lowering his league-leading batting average to .348.

Catcher Nick Schwartz added three hits in four at-bats, doubling twice and scoring two runs. Nate Nankil and Casey Yamauchi each also went 2-for-4 in a 12-hit attack.

The Cubs scored solo tallies off of Jake Pfennigs in the sixth and seventh innings before Wander Guante fired a scoreless eighth and Mark Adamiak sent everyone home with a scoreless ninth.

The first LAFCU Fireworks night of the season arrives on a Grand Slam School Night Friday, featuring entertainment from the Zooperstars! Right-hander Yunior Tur faces right-hander Nick Dean at 7:05 p.m., gates opening at 6 p.m. Tickets are available for purchase at the stadium box office, (517) 485-4500 or online at milb.com/lansing.

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