Lugnuts' bats awaken late in 8-5 loss

CEDAR RAPIDS, Ia. - Mitch Nay knocked a three-run homer to ignite a five-run eighth inning, but the Lansing Lugnuts (10-20, 47-49) fell short to the Cedar Rapids Kernels (14-16, 53-47), 8-5, on Sunday afternoon at Perfect Game Field at Veterans Memorial Stadium.

The Lugnuts had scored three runs in the first three games of their road trip before tallying four runs in a series-opening loss to Cedar Rapids on Saturday. The eighth-inning spurt marked the most runs they had scored in a week, and it was precipitated by a pair of ejections.

Cedar Rapids built an 8-0 lead on the back of six scoreless innings from starter Clark Beeker(Win, 9-3) and a fifth-inning Amaurys Minier grand slam.

In Minier's next at-bat, he was hit by a pitch from Nick Hartman - and Hartman was promptly ejected by home-plate umpire Darius Ghani. Lugnuts manager Cesar Martin came out to argue his pitcher's dismissal and was also thumbed out, his first ejection of the year.

The Nuts' offense responded against Kernels reliever Ryan Mason. Joshua Palacios led off the eighth with a walk, Edward Olivares singled, and Nash bashed his fifth home run of the year to trim the Cedar Rapids lead to 8-3. Two outs later, Max Cordy relieved Mason and gave up a Yeltsin Gudino double, Luis Silva RBI single, and Nick Sinay bunt single, throwing a wild pitch to bring in the Lugnuts' fifth run of the frame.

But the Lugnuts could get no closer; Cordy set down the final four batters he faced, ending the game.

Lansing starter Kyle Weatherly (Loss, 0-2) pitched four innings, allowing five hits and four runs (two earned) with two walks and three strikeouts.

Palacios, Gudino, Silva and Sinay all collected two hits in the loss for the Lugnuts.

Nuts right-hander Mike Ellenbest (7.43) starts the Monday finale of the three-game series against Kernels lefty Anthony Marzi (1.37), first pitch scheduled for 1:05 p.m.

The next Lugnuts home game is a Winning Wednesday on July 26 against the Dayton Dragons, opening a seven-game homestand. 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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