Locos use CG, last-ditch rally to sweep twinbill

LANSING, Mich. – Collin Bradley tossed the Lemonade League’s first complete game in Game 1 and Kade Preston and Alex McCormack lifted back-to-back sacrifice flies in Game 2, helping the Locos sweep a doubleheader against the Lugnuts, 2-1 and 2-1, on Sunday afternoon at Cooley Law School Stadium.

Both games were limited to five innings from the usual Lemonade League seven innings in making up the rainout from the previous Sunday.

In Game 1, the Locos struck early, with Brandon Scheurer (SVSU), Michael Stygles (Oakland) and Kade Preston (CMU) greeting Lugnuts starter John Fantauzzo (SVSU) with three straight first-inning singles, Preston singling home Scheurer for a 1-0 lead. Fantauzzo then tossed a wild pitch, bringing home Stygles for a 2-0 lead.

It was all that the Locos would score, but it was enough for Bradley, who held a Lugnuts offense that had been averaging eight hits and nine runs per game to just one hit through four innings.

With one out in the fifth, Drew Cavanaugh (Eastern Florida State College) doubled and Joey PeJuan (Madonna) singled him in to ruin the shutout bid. Bradley responded by coaxing fielder’s choices from Jake Rydquist (GVSU) and Logan Welch (SVSU) to end the game. In doing so, he became the first Lemonade League pitcher to work five full innings.

Bradley finished with three hits and one walk allowed, striking out four.

In the loss, Garrett Larner (LCC) gave the Lugnuts three scoreless innings of relief, striking out four and scattering two walks and a hit.

In Game 2, it looked the Lugnuts were turning the tables, bringing an early lead to the final inning. In the first inning, Darryn Davis (Toledo) doubled against Locos starter Brendan Bilkovic (Wayne State) and came home on a two-out single by Colin Cornwell (SVSU), a 1-0 lead that stayed in place through the second, third and fourth innings.

But Lugnuts reliever Elliott Patten (LCC) began the fifth inning with three straight walks, putting the tying and go-ahead runs in scoring position. That put Preston in position to deadlock the game at 1-1 against new reliever Rydquist with a sacrifice fly to right. McCormack followed with a sac fly to center, and the Locos had their first lead.

In the bottom of the fifth, a leadoff walk and a wild pitch put PeJuan in scoring position as the potential game-tying run – but Locos reliever Nolan Knauf (SVSU) struck out Vann Acker (Concordia) and Logan Welch (SVSU) and retired Davis on a foul-out to third to end the game.

It was the first time Davis had been set down in the whole doubleheader; the league’s leading hitter had singled and walked in Game 1 and doubled and walked in Game 2 entering his final plate appearance. He’s batting .552 with a league-leading 16 hits in 10 games.

For the Locos, shortstop Scheurer was the day’s overall standout. He finished Game 1 with a single, walk and a run scored, and then singled and walked twice in Game 2.

The Locos improved to 5-6 against the Lugnuts through 11 games.

The Lemonade League’s next game is on Wednesday at 7 p.m., with the Cedar Street gate opening to fans at 6 p.m. Masks are mandatory for admission.

The Lemonade League is a college wood-bat league featuring Minor League Baseball umpires, yellow baseballs, seven-inning games, and extra innings replaced by a one-on-one Home Run Derby – although none was needed on this night. Every Lemonade League game is livestreamed FREE across multiple social and digital platforms, including the Lansing Lugnuts’ Facebook and Twitter pages.

For more information, visit lansinglugnuts.com or call (517) 485-4500.

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