Valenzuela rallies Lugnuts to 4-3 win

LANSING, Mich. – Sahid Valenzuela lined a go-ahead two-run single in the bottom of the eighth inning, and the Lansing Lugnuts (3-4) edged the Great Lakes Loons (3-4), 4-3, on Friday night at Jackson® Field™.

The Nuts rallied from two different late deficits against the Great Lakes’ bullpen, erasing a 2-0 deficit against Livan Reinoso with two outs in the sixth on a Clark Elliott RBI triple and Casey Yamauchi RBI single.

But Logan Wagner’s seventh-inning RBI double gave the Loons the lead against Jake Christianson and necessitated one more comeback before the night was through.

Jonny Butler led off the home eighth with a double to right field off Christian Ruebeck, Elliott walked, and Yamauchi was hit by a pitch to load the bases. CJ Rodriguez struck out before Valenzuela lined a 1-2 pitch into center field to score Butler and Elliott. Before the pivotal swing, Lansing had not collected a base hit in 19 bases-loaded plated appearances this season.

Three big hits swung tonight's game: Clark Elliott, Casey Yamauchi, and Sahid Valenzuela. pic.twitter.com/HgM8cJZrcD

— Lansing Lugnuts (@LansingLugnuts) April 12, 2025

Mark Adamiak worked a 1-2-3 ninth to sew up the win, his second scoreless inning out of the pen. Shortstop Valenzuela fittingly handled the final out, fielding a soft Kendall George grounder and firing to first to beat the Loons’ speedster by a whisker.

Lansing starter Gage Jump struck out six batters in four innings in his home debut, allowing only a two-run first-inning home run to Zyhir Hope.

The Nuts and Loons have split the first four games of the series, setting up a Saturday 1:05 p.m. matinee between Lansing right-hander Steven Echavarria and Loons right-hander Payton Martin. The game will feature the usual Thirsty Thursday drink specials for a Saturday Darty, a day party, with $3 domestics and soft drinks and $5 seltzers.

Tickets are available at the Jackson® Field™ box office, (517) 485-4500 or online at milb.com/lansing.

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