Lugnuts sweep Cubs to wrap up 1st half

LANSING, Mich. - Ryan Noda blasted his eighth homer in a 14-game span and the Lansing Lugnuts (43-27) put the finishing touches on a strong first half with an 8-4 win over the South Bend Cubs (34-35) on Sunday afternoon at Cooley Law School Stadium.

The victory completed a three-game sweep of the Cubs, the Lugnuts' fifth sweep of the first half.

All-Star right-hander Brendan King (Loss, 2-3) made the spot start for South Bend and was tagged for five runs in 2 1/3 innings, allowing Noda's two-run blast to right in the third inning as well as two Yeltsin Gudino RBI doubles, one in the second inning and one in the third inning.

Noda added an RBI single in a three-run fourth inning against lefty Manuel Rondon, finishing with a walk, three hits, and three RBIs. Since May 30th, the 2017 Appalachian League MVP has raised his batting average from .195 to .253 while supplying 21 RBIs in 14 games.

Lansing starter Colton Laws (Win, 4-2) tossed five innings, allowing seven hits and three runs before handing the ball to his bullpen.

Kyle Weatherly handled the sixth and seventh innings without allowing a hit, Matt Shannon gave up a run in the eighth, and Claudio Custodio pitched around a double in a scoreless ninth.

The game featured the unusual feature of six straight half-innings with a double play, stretching from the top of the sixth inning through the bottom of the eighth. In the end, the Lugnuts turned four double plays while the Cubs turned three.

Next up, it's the 54th annual Midwest League All-Star Game presented by LAFCU! The day starts with a Block Party and stadium gates opening at 3 p.m., with a commemorative batting helmets given to the first 1,000 fans. Then delight in the 2018 Midwest League Home Run Derby, followed by the Midsummer Classic at 7:05 p.m. and postgame LAFCU Fireworks! To purchase tickets, visit lansinglugnuts.com or call (517) 485-4500.

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