Peluse dominates, Nuts trounce Cubs again

LANSING, Mich. – Colin Peluse struck out ten batters in 5 2/3 innings, Shane Selman smashed a 433-foot home run off a 99-mph fastball, and the Lansing Lugnuts (14-15) enjoyed their second consecutive rout with a 9-3 victory over the South Bend Cubs (13-15) on Saturday night at Jackson® Field™.

Combined with the Lugnuts’ overwhelming 17-3 victory from the night before, Lansing has outscored South Bend 26-6 over the past two games. But contrary to Thursday night’s steamrolling, pitching stole the headlines from the offense.

Peluse, a right-hander from Wake Forest selected in the ninth round of the 2016 draft by Oakland, struck out the side in the first inning, gave up a run but whiffed Matt Burch to strand two runners aboard in the second, fanned two in the third, struck out two more in a perfect fourth, and rang up his ninth and tenth strikeouts in a perfect fifth, including a third straight strikeout of Cubs leadoff hitter Edmond Americaan. He departed after allowing a two-out single to Nelson Velazquez in the sixth, the Cubs’ fourth hit against him.

Relievers Bryce Nightengale and Aiden McIntyre handled business from there, with Nightengale striking out four batters in 2 1/3 innings and McIntyre K’ing two in a perfect ninth, finishing with a team total of 16 strikeouts.

The Lugnuts’ lineup supplied relentless support, scoring in each of the first four innings against Cubs starter Max Bain, adding two runs in the sixth against Samuel Reyes on a Jake Suddleson single, and tacking on the final run of the night in emphatic fashion thanks to Selman.

With one out in the bottom of the seventh, Selman turned around 99 miles-per-hour of heat from Eury Ramos and launched it off The Outfield Lofts apartments in straightaway center field, a drive estimated at 104 mph exit velocity and 433 feet in distance. It was Selman’s fourth home run of the season.

In the victory, Lugnuts third baseman Cobie Vance provided an RBI double and an RBI single, second baseman Elvis Peralta, Jr. drilled an RBI triple and scored a pair of runs, and catcher Drew Millas walked twice and singled in four trips.

Lansing shortstop Max Schuemann finished 1-for-4 with a single, walk, stolen base and two runs scored, extending his on-base streak to 23 games.

The Lugnuts have won three of the first five games of the series and can look for their first series victory of the season on Sunday afternoon at 1:05 p.m., a Capital City Market Kids Day with post-game Kids Run the Bases. Right-hander Stevie Emanuels (4.32 ERA) pitches against facing Cubs right-hander Derek Casey (4.56). To purchase tickets, visit lansinglugnuts.com or call (517) 485-4500.

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