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Susac drives Nuts to second walk-off W

April 27, 2023

LANSING, Mich. – Daniel Susac drilled a two-out, two-strike, game-winning two-run triple, driving the Lansing Lugnuts (10-7) to a 6-5 tenth-inning victory over the Quad Cities River Bandits (7-10) on Thursday night at Jackson® Field™. It was the Lugnuts’ second 6-5 tenth-inning walk-off win over the River Bandits in a

LANSING, Mich. – Daniel Susac drilled a two-out, two-strike, game-winning two-run triple, driving the Lansing Lugnuts (10-7) to a 6-5 tenth-inning victory over the Quad Cities River Bandits (7-10) on Thursday night at Jackson® Field™.

It was the Lugnuts’ second 6-5 tenth-inning walk-off win over the River Bandits in a three-day span, following a Tuesday night series-opening victory. That game, however, concluded on a bases-loaded, none-out, wild pitch. This one came with far more drama, thrilling the crowd of 5,955.

After the River Bandits took a 5-4 lead in the top of the tenth on a Kyle Hayes squeeze, the Lugnuts opened up the bottom of the tenth by asking Jack Winkler to sacrifice placed runner Caeden Trenkle to third – but reliever Wander Arias muffed the bunt, giving the Nuts runners at the corners with no outs. Arias responded by striking out Max Muncy and Lazaro Armenteros and jumping in front of Susac, 1-and-2. The Lugnuts’ DH flied the next pitch to deepest center field where Gavin Cross, the Royals’ no. 1 prospect, tracked the ball to the wall and got his glove on it, but the ball popped free and bounced away as Trenkle and Winkler scored, giving the Lugnuts a third straight victory in the series.

The result concluded a seesaw game: Lazaro Armenteros doubled home Winkler in the first inning to give the Nuts a 1-0 lead; Quad Cities rallied for two runs in the fifth to go up, 2-1; Susac singled home Winkler and Muncy in the sixth to leapfrog the Lugnuts ahead, 3-2; Cayden Wallace doubled home two in the eighth to put the Bandits in front, 4-3; and an Euribiel Ángeles fielder’s choice scored Armenteros in the bottom of the eighth to tie the gamne and set up the tenth inning drama.

Each team received strong starting pitching. Lansing right-hander Mitch Myers followed up five scoreless innings in his last outing with his first quality start of the year, allowing two runs on four hits in six innings, striking out two. Quad Cities right-hander Luinder Avila limited Lansing to one run on three hits in five innings, fanning seven.

Susac finished the game 3-for-5 with four RBIs to lead the Lugnuts’ offense, aided by a 1-for-2, two-walk, three-run performance from Winkler. Leadoff hitter Trenkle went 1-for-5, extending his on-base streak to 15 games.

The Nuts go for a fourth straight win over the River Bandits on a Dollar Deal Day Friday, sending right-hander Joelvis Del Rosario (4.02 ERA) against Bandits right-hander Chandler Champlain (4.32 ERA) at 6:05 p.m., with gates opening at 5 p.m. For more information, visit lansinglugnuts.com or call (517) 485-4500.

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