A Super Night for the Super Loons

MIDLAND, MI - In front of 3,450 fans on Super Hero Night, the Great Lakes Loons cleansed Dow Diamond of the evil Bowling Green Hot Rods (25-23) using the super powers of Pedro Guerrero to score four runs in the 9-6 victory Friday night. The win gives the Loons the 2-1 series win and a record of 25-23, tied for second in the Midwest League's eastern division.

Down 3-2 in the third inning, the Loons shortstop Guerrero teed up and hit a no-doubter grand slam over the left field wall to put the Loons ahead 6-3.

"My mind was to be aggressive, you know, [swinging] on first pitch," Guerrero said after the game. "I put a good swing on and it worked...I was looking for a fast ball that I could hit and I was ready for it."

The homer was the third for Guerrero on the season and the second in as many nights. The last grand slam by a Loon came on the road in Burlington on April 24 by Joe Winker.

Also supporting the Loons heroic night was Jesus Arredondo and Jesse Bosnik, who both turned in RBI-singles in the second inning. Later, Pratt Maynard recorded a run-scoring single to right field to bring in Winker. The Loons final two runs came as the result of Hot Rods miscues, an error in the fifth to score James Baldwin, who stole three bases on the night, and a wild pitch in the eighth to score Winker, who knocked his 18th double of the season earlier in the game.

Defensively, Ryan O'Sullivan earned his fourth win of the year after fanning six Hot Rods through six innings. The righty surrendered five runs, four earned, and three coming from a home run he allowed to Todd Glaesmann in the second inning. Reliever Matt Shelton picked up a hold, limiting Bowling Green to one run on no hits in 1.1 innings of work, as did Mike Thomas for two-thirds of an inning. Shutting down the Hot Rods in the ninth, Yimi Garcia nabbed his seventh save. Hot Rod Markel took the loss.

The Loons will begin a new four-game series with the South Bend Silver Hawks on Saturday night at Dow Diamond. Starting on the hill for the Loons will be RHP Gustavo Gomez (4-3, 3.80) against the Hot Rods lefty John Pedrotty (1-3, 5.85). The game will be followed by the first Fireworks Loontacular of the season, powered by Dow Corning. The theme for the night is Storybook Princess Night, which will feature appearances from Cinderella, Princess Tiana and Rapunzel. Fans attending the game are encouraged to dress up as their favorite princess.

The Great Lakes Loons are a sixth-year Single-A partner of the Los Angeles Dodgers and are in the middle of their 5th Anniversary Celebration, which kicked off in August 2011 and will continue throughout the 2012 season. For more information about the Loons, visit Loons.com or call 989-837-BALL.