Locos celebrate Cinco de Mayo with 7-5 victory

LANSING, Mich. -Mc Gregory Contreras slugged his first home run of the year, Sean Wymer was spinning a gem, and the Lansing Locos (14-15) were rolling - before having to hang on for a 7-5 win over the Beloit Snappers (9-17) on Sunday night at Cooley Law School Stadium.
5,388 attended the game, which began with a Street Festival from to 2-6 p.m. and ended with Lansing capturing the rubber match in the three-game series, their last in a stretch of three straight games playing as the Locos as part of Minor League Baseball's Copa de la Diversión campaign. The Lugnuts will become the Locos and don the gem-blue and marigold jerseys one final time in 2019, on Sunday, August 18th.

Explosive Locos offense spoiled the Midwest League debut of 20-year-old Beloit right-hander Angello Infante(Loss, 0-1), who served up a Contreras three-run homer beneath the video board in a four-run second inning, on his way to giving up eight hits and seven runs (six earned) in 4 1/3 innings.
On the other side, Wymer (Win, 2-1) had allowed only one base runner through the first 5 1/3 innings, an Anthony Churlin second-inning single, while striking out seven.
But then, with one out in the sixth, the Snappers struck: Marcos Brito walked, Lester Madden singled, Payton Squier singled, Ryan Gridley singled in Brito, and Nick Osborne drilled a three-run double to cut a 7-0 lead to 7-4 and end Wymer's day. Cobie Vance greeted Mike Pascoe with a sacrifice fly, scoring Osborne and trimming the lead to two runs.
As quickly as the uprising had started, it was quashed. Pascoe fired 2 2/3 innings in relief, allowing only an infield single in the eighth while striking out two.
Sean Rackoski(Save, 1) then put a wrap on the game with a 1-2-3 ninth, fanning one.
The Lansing Locos were led offensively by their 3-4-5 batters, Nick Podkul, Jake Brodt and D.J. Neal. Third baseman Podkul finished 3-for-4 with a double and two runs scored, extending his on-base streak to 15 games. First baseman Brodt was 2-for-2 with a single, double, two walks and two runs scored. And right fielder Neal went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI singles.
The Lansing Lugnuts now head on the road for a six-game road trip against Western Division foes Quad Cities and Kane County. The trip begins with three 7:35 p.m. Eastern games against the Quad Cities River Bandits, affiliated with the Houston Astros, to be held at the University of Iowa's Duane Banks Field due to flooding in Davenport, Iowa.
The Lugnuts return home for a three-game series against the West Michigan Whitecaps from a Dollar Monday, May 13th, through a Dog Days of Summer Wednesday, May 15th. To live the Lug Life and purchase tickets, visit lansinglugnuts.com or call (517) 485-4500. # # #