Loons-Captains Split Doubleheader, Each Team Earns Walk-Off Win

MIDLAND, Mich. – The Great Lakes Loons (36-28) and the Lake County Captains (37-27) both had walk-off wins in an epic doubleheader on a 69-degree partly cloudy Thursday night at Dow Diamond.

The Dayton Dragons won both games in a doubleheader in Peoria to claim the first half playoff berth in the Midwest League East Division. The Loons needed to go 2-0 and Dayton had to lose at least one contest today, to obtain the spot.

Game One – Loons 5, Captains 4 – Eight Innings

- Aidan Foeller retired 14 in a row, the right-hander struck out six. Bennett Thompson’s infield single broke up a perfect game in the fifth. Thompson was the only batter to reach against Foeller.

- Both teams had four run innings, Great Lakes got their four in the fifth inning. Samuel Munoz, Jose Hernandez and Jose Izarra all reached in a row. Izarra put down a sac bunt, but no out was recorded. Chuck Davalan put the Loons on the board with a sacrifice fly, Eduardo Quintero delivered two with a two-run double. Quintero scored on a Captains throwing error.

• The Captains tied it with a four-run seventh inning. Jace LaViolette, Nolan Schubart and Bennett Thompson all reached. Schubart scored LaViolette with an RBI single. Then Welbyn Francisca rocked a pitch from Dilan Figueredo, 400 feet over the left-field fence to tie the game.

- Figueredo bounced back striking out two in the eighth. Eduardo Quintero doubled with two outs in the seventh, but Lake County’s Cam Schuelke forced a groundout to end the frame. In the bottom of the eighth, placed runner Jose Meza reached third on a groundball. Victor Rodrigues chopped a ball to first base and Meza beat the throw with a headfirst dive across home plate.

Game Two, Captains 3, Loons 2 – Seven Innings

- The Loons plated the first two runs on RBI singles. Emil Morales lifted a ball up the left field line to score Chuck Davalan in the third inning. Davalan hit a ground rule double and stole third base. Jose Meza’s RBI single made it 2-0 in the sixth. Quintero singled and stole two bases to put himself 90 feet away.

- Christian Zazueta threw a perfect five innings. The right-hander punched out seven, five via the changeup. He needed just 58 pitches to record the 15 outs.

- The Captains had just two hits, a two-run double and walk-off home run. Jace LaViolette roped a two-out two-run double to knot up the score. Dean Curley who reached via an Isaac Ayon walk, was thrown out trying to take the lead.

- Lake County, as the home team in game two, walked it off. Nolan Schubart smoked a ball to the berm beyond the left field fence. Game two was a makeup of a May 9th contest scheduled to be played in Eastlake, Ohio.

Rounding Things Out

Today’s two walk-offs from two different teams in the same day is a unique occurrence. A comparable but not identical situation was during MLB’s Covid-19 season. The Mets won in walk-off fashion at Yankee Stadium against the Yankees on August 28th, 2020, and the Yankees delivered a walk-off win over the Mets at Yankee Stadium on August 30th, 2020.

Up Next

The second half of the season starts tomorrow Friday June 19th. Friday is Copa Night at Dow Diamond. The Loons transform into the Pepinillos Picantes del Norte. Friday features a Foodie Friday with discounted food and a Chef’s Table featuring a Tuscan Table Buffet, tickers available at Loons.com. The first pitch between the Loons and Captains is at 7:05 p.m. ET.

The Great Lakes Loons have been a partner of the Los Angeles Dodgers since the team’s inception in 2007. Dow Diamond serves as the team’s home and also houses the Michigan Baseball Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit public charity, and Sports Radio 100.9 The Mitt. For tickets or information about the Loons, call 989-837-BALL or visit Loons.com.