Loons win, take series, season series vs. Nuts

MIDLAND, Mich. - The Great Lakes Loons (29-31, 65-65) scored five runs in the second innings and coasted to a 5-2 victory over the Lansing Lugnuts (22-38, 59-67) on Thursday night at Dow Diamond.

With the result, the Loons won both the series, two of three games, and the season series, 10-9, against the Lugnuts.

Lansing starter Mike Ellenbest (Loss, 7-7) pitched 5 1/3 innings, holding the Loons at bay with the exception of the second-inning explosion: a sacrifice fly from Nick Yarnall, RBI singles from Jared Walker and Saige Jenco, and a two-run double by Jeren Kendall.

The Loons used a quartet of pitchers, none of whom pitched longer than 2 2/3 innings. Melvin Jimenez started the game, striking out six of the nine batters he faced. Marshall Kasowski (Win, 1-0) followed, allowing the first Lugs run on a Rodrigo Orozco RBI grounder in the fifth.

Orozco also drove in the final Lugnuts run, singling home Nick Sinay with two outs in the ninth against Dan Jagiello (Save, 2). In their last gasp, the Nuts put runners on the corners and brought Nash Knight to the plate as the game-tying run, but Knight grounded out to third to end the game.

In the loss, David Jacob went 2-for-4 and Sinay was 1-for-3 with a walk. The Loons' Brock Carpenter and Moises Perez each finished 3-for-4 to aid the winning cause.

The Nuts now return home Friday to open a four-game series with the Fort Wayne TinCaps, beginning with Oldsmobile Heritage Night presented with the R.E. Olds Transportation Museum featuring postgame LAFCU Fireworks! Lugnuts right-hander Andy Ravel (6-8, 7.17) faces TinCaps northpaw Michel Baez (5-2, 2.56) at 7:05 p.m. Tickets may be purchased at the Cooley Law School Stadium box office, by calling (517) 485-4500 or via lansinglugnuts.com.
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