Lugnuts wrap up 2023, fall 3-2 to Captains
EASTLAKE, OH – Joe Lampe slugged a two-run go-ahead home run in the fifth inning, Junior Sanquintin added a key RBI triple in the eighth, and the Lake County Captains (34-30, 65-64) defeated the Lansing Lugnuts (29-37, 60-71), 3-2, to wrap up the 2023 season on Sunday afternoon at Classic
EASTLAKE, OH – Joe Lampe slugged a two-run go-ahead home run in the fifth inning, Junior Sanquintin added a key RBI triple in the eighth, and the Lake County Captains (34-30, 65-64) defeated the Lansing Lugnuts (29-37, 60-71), 3-2, to wrap up the 2023 season on Sunday afternoon at Classic Auto Group Park.
The next Lugnuts game is 206 days away, the Crosstown Showdown against the Michigan State Spartans on Wednesday, April 3, 2024.
One last Lugnuts highlight this season:@Clark_Elliott11 destroys this pitch 400 feet, and it would've gone farther but a billboard got in the way. pic.twitter.com/rAa2fduSOw
— Lansing Lugnuts (@LansingLugnuts) September 10, 2023
The game began well for Lansing: Junior Pérez led off the game with a double and scored on a Ryan Webb wild pitch to give the Lugnuts an immediate 1-0 lead and Mitch Myers cruised through four perfect innings.
But Jorge Burgos led off the last of the fifth with a single and Lampe followed with his fifth home run of the season, lifting Lake County into a 2-1 lead.
Myers finished with 5 2/3 innings, allowing two runs on five hits while striking out four and walking none. The right-hander from Pitt led Lansing with 104 1/3 innings pitched this season.
In the bottom of the eighth, Burgos singled with two outs off reliever Hunter Breault and Lampe followed with a walk. The Lugnuts turned to Pedro Santos, but Sanquintin greeted the fireballer with a liner hooked down the right field line. Burgos scored to widen the Captains’ lead to two runs, but Lampe was thrown out at the plate.
The insurance run proved valuable when Clark Elliott led off the ninth inning against Matt Turner with his second career home run, a 400-foot shot that dented the Cleveland Clinic Mentor Hospital billboard behind the right field berm.
Turner then retired the next three hitters in order, closing out the game and the season.
In the loss, Lansing shortstop Casey Yamauchi went 2-for-3 with two singles, a walk and two stolen bases. In three games in High-A, Yamauchi reached base nine times in 12 at-bats, finishing 6-for-9 with two walks, an HBP and three steals.
For more information on the Lansing Lugnuts throughout the offseason, visit lansinglugnuts.com or call (517) 485-4500.
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