Muncy, Lugnuts clip Caps, 3-1
LANSING, Mich. – Shortstop Max Muncy delivered a tie-breaking RBI single in the bottom of the seventh and robbed Chase DeLauter of a game-tying RBI single in the top of the eighth, helping the Lansing Lugnuts (5-7, 36-41) top the Lake County Captains (3-9, 34-43), 3-1, on Thursday night at
LANSING, Mich. – Shortstop Max Muncy delivered a tie-breaking RBI single in the bottom of the seventh and robbed Chase DeLauter of a game-tying RBI single in the top of the eighth, helping the Lansing Lugnuts (5-7, 36-41) top the Lake County Captains (3-9, 34-43), 3-1, on Thursday night at Jackson Field.
Each team tallied a run in the third inning – a Nate Furman RBI single for Lake County, a Caeden Trenkle RBI single for Lansing – and the game remained tied at 1-1 for the next three innings, thanks to five solid innings from Lugnuts starter Jacob Watters and six strong from Captains lefty Steve Hajjar.
Here's the highlight reel from tonight's 3-1 win!
— Lansing Lugnuts (@LansingLugnuts) July 7, 2023
Featuring...
🔩 @caeden_trenkle getting the offense going
🔩 Clutch offense and defense from @Maxmuncy_8
🔩 Situational hitting from @JtWink22
🔩 Unhittable stuff from Christian Fernandez and @Tbaum27 pic.twitter.com/7wEh1cSBa7
But in the bottom of the seventh after reliever Josh Wolf had struck out the first two Nuts hitters, Euribiel Ángeles drew a walk and advanced to second on an HBP of Clark Elliott. Muncy followed by punching a two-strike fastball between first baseman Will Bartlett and his bag, bringing in Ángeles for a 2-1 lead.
In the eighth, Lugnuts reliever Christian Fernandez departed in favor of closer Tyler Baum after allowing a one-out double to Milan Tolentino. DeLauter turned around a Baum 96-mph fastball and sent it screaming on the ground up the middle, but Muncy reached out and stabbed it, spun, and tossed to first for the out. Baum then retired Joe Lampe on a popout to second, stranding Tolentino at third base.
After a Jack Winkler sacrifice fly gave the Lugnuts an insurance run in the home eighth, Baum finished off the five-out save in the ninth, pitching around a walk and a hit batsman with a pair of strikeouts. In the process, the right-hander tied Cedar Rapids’ Miguel Rodriguez for the Midwest League lead with his tenth save.
The Lugnuts have won two of the first three games in the series, bringing up Michigan Baseball Hall of Fame Night, featuring the induction of the Class of 2023: Michigan State coaching great Danny Litwhiler and Western Michigan coaching great Fred Decker. The night also features a retro Lugnuts bobblehead giveaway and postgame LAFCU Fireworks. Gates open at 6 p.m., with the Hall of Fame plaque unveiling around 6:45 p.m. and a 7:05 p.m. first pitch. Tickets are available via lansinglugnuts.com or by calling (517) 485-4500 during office hours.
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