Nuts return to action with Opening Night romp

LANSING, Mich. – It had been 611 days for Lansing Lugnuts fans without baseball – and the Lugnuts rewarded them in their return with a convincing 8-1 Opening Night win over the Lake County Captains on Tuesday night at Jackson® Field™.

The Lugnuts jumped on Captains starter Hunter Gaddis with a string of two-out runs to put the game out of reach early.

20-year-old Jordan Díaz belted a two-out, two-run homer in the first inning, Drew Millas supplied a two-out RBI double in the second inning, and Lester Madden, Jr. drilled a two-out RBI double in the third inning to get the Lugnuts off to a 4-0 start.

Here's tonight's Play of the Game: Jordan Díaz announces himself in High-A, driving in the first runs of 2021.#Lugnuts25 🔩 #RootedInOakland pic.twitter.com/dk0f67U66q

— Lansing Lugnuts (@LansingLugnuts) May 5, 2021

After a Michael Guldberg RBI double in the fourth inning, Gaddis loaded the bases on a Millas single and a Ryan Gridley hit-by-pitch and was promptly pulled from the game. The Lugnuts soon tacked on two more runs against reliever Thomas Ponticelli, thanks to a Patrick McColl sacrifice fly and a Cobie Vance RBI single, building the lead to 7-0.

Meanwhile, the Lugnuts’ pitching was exceptional. Starter Seth Shuman struck out seven in four scoreless innings while allowing only two base runners, a pair of Bryan Lavastida singles.

Shohei Tomioka handled the fifth and sixth innings without issue, striking out one and walking one. Dalton Sawyer worked the seventh, striking out three and giving up a hit. Charles Hall allowed a run on two walks in the eighth.

The Lugnuts closed out the scoring in the home eighth on a Max Schuemann double, their fifth and final double of the night, a wild pitch and a Kellen Rholl balk.

Aiden McIntyre then handled the ninth inning, pitching around a two-out single while striking out two to finish off the win.

The game marked the professional debuts of Tomioka, Guldberg, Millas, McColl and right fielder Jake Suddleson, as well as the return to the mound for Sawyer for the first time since 2017. The left-hander had missed 2018 and 2019 due to Tommy John surgery and had been ready to return in 2020 before the season was canceled.

The Lansing Locos take the field against Lake County at 7:05 p.m. on Wednesday night in the first Copa de la Diversión game of the season, with Cinco de Mayo drink specials, plus it’s a Dog Days of Summer with dogs welcomed! To purchase tickets, please visit lansinglugnuts.com or call (517) 485-4500.

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