Loons Walk to 1-0 Victory

MIDLAND, MI - The Great Lakes Loons extended their win streak to five games Thursday night at Dow Diamond, in front of 4,645 fans, with a 1-0 win over the Lake County Captains, scoring their only run on a bases-loaded walk.

The Loons single run crossed in the second inning with Captains starter Felix Sterling on the hill. With two outs and Nick Akins on first, catcher Steve Domecus hit a single to left field to move Akins to second. Then Sterling issued two straight walks, the second being a bases-loaded walk to score Akins.

The Loons were outhit eight to five on the night, but were gifted seven walks by Sterling, who was charged with the loss, his first. Despite the limited offense, Loons starting pitcher Greg Wilborn is grateful for his teammates' contribution in the win.

"They keep us in the game," Wilborn said. "They are going to make plays behind us, so I don't really look at the offensive side of the game, I just go out and pitch my game and let them do what they are going to do. They'll put up runs for you and you just got to know that they'll have their big inning and that's going to help you to win the game."

For the second night in a row, this time guided by Wilborn, Loons pitchers combined for a nine-inning shutout of the Captains, who have been held scoreless by Loons pitchers now for 19 consecutive innings.

The lefty tossed five scoreless frames with six strikeouts and five hits before he was relieved by Bret Montgomery. The tall reliever pitched three solid innings for his tenth hold, which ranks second-most among Midwest League pitchers.

"I just come in, try and throw strikes and let my two-seamer work," Montgomery said after the game. "I usually throw what [catchers] Domecus or Mike Pericht is back there calling, and after [Wilborn] threw five great innings, three wasn't too bad."

In to close the game was reliever Scott McGough, who allowed a two-out hit in the ninth, but managed his fourth save with Domecus recording the final out on runner Nick Bartolone, who was out advancing to second.

The Loons will conclude their four-game series against the Lake County Captains on Friday night and send LHP Ryan Christenson (7-7, 5.22) to the mound against the Captains LHP J.D. Reichenbach (5-1, 3.50). It's Chemical Bank's Raining Money Night on Friday, featuring a helicopter money drop after the game. Twenty preselected contestants will scramble for 2,000 one dollar bills on the field at Dow Diamond.

The Great Lakes Loons are a fifth-year Single-A partner of the Los Angeles Dodgers and members of the Midwest League. For more information about the Loons, visit Loons.com or call 989-837-BALL.