Palka's Homers Drive Loons Crazy, Hawks win 5-2
Thunder and lightning propelled the South Bend Silver Hawks to victory over the Great Lakes Loons at Four Winds Field on Tuesday night. Two home runs early from first baseman Daniel Palka provided the thunder, keeping the Silver Hawks tied with the Loons, who put up a two run homer of their own. Then the lightning followed with a three run rally in the bottom of the seventh inning to seal the victory.
The South Bend Silver Hawks, Class-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks, wasted little time before lighting up the scoreboard. In the bottom of the first inning, Palka launched the first of his two home runs on the night. This round tripper to right field came on a 2-2 offering from Great Lakes starter Victor Arano.
The Great Lakes Loons, Class-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers, answered in the top of the fourth. Designated hitter Paul Hoenecke led off the frame with a double down the right field line into the corner. After Hoenecke advanced to third on a wild pitch, the Loons got in on the home run action. Right fielder Joey Curletta connected on a 1-2 offering from Blayne Weller and deposited it over the left field wall into the Applebee's Fun Zone to put Great Lakes ahead 2-1.
Palka took it upon himself to see that the Loons' lead would be short lived. In the bottom of the fourth, Palka blasted his 13th home run of the season to just beyond the 360' sign in right. It looked like the Hawks would capitalize as right fielder Stryker Trahan doubled off the left-center wall and then proceeded to advance to third on a passed ball. However, Arano recovered to get the last two outs of the inning and keep the score knotted at 2-2.
Weller kept the Hawks in the game through five innings as he only allowed the two runs, on three hits, while striking out six. John Shuttlesworth (W, 1-1) entered in the sixth and kept the Loons off the scoreboard for two innings to set the stage for the Hawks in the seventh. In the bottom of the seventh, second baseman Jamie Westbrook led off with a slow roller back to Loons reliever Greg Harris (L, 5-5). Harris cleanly fielded the ball, but then air mailed his throw to first. As the ball rolled down the line into the bullpen, Westbrook advanced to third on the E-1 throwing error. Designated hitter Marty Herum broke the tie with a line drive single to left that scored Westbrook. After advancing to second on a wild pitch, Herum scored from second on shortstop Andrew Velazquez's single to right. Velazquez proceeded to steal second and then continue on to third as catcher Spencer Navin's throw down to second was wide of the base and ended up in center. Center fielder Breland Almadova followed with a line drive to the left-center gap for a triple. The third unearned run of the inning pushed the Hawks in front 5-2.
After the Hawks took the lead there was no looking back as the bullpen combined to close the door on the Loons. Daniel Gibson sat the Loons down in order in the eighth. Then Silvino Bracho (S, 12) entered in the ninth and followed suit, retiring all three Great Lakes batters he faced to seal the victory for South Bend. With his twelfth save of the season Bracho remains one behind Midwest League leader Griffin Murphy of the Lansing Lugnut.
The series continues Wednesday night at Four Winds Field, with the first pitch set for 7:05 p.m. Jonathan Martinez (5-5, 3.46) is set to start for Great Lakes. Midwest League Pitcher of the Week for June 9-15 Blake Perry (5-2, 3.63) will take the mound for South Bend. It's Kids Eat Free Wednesday, presented by Aunt Millie's. Kids 12 and under get a voucher at the gate for a free hot dog, chips and a drink.