Lansing Takes Pair from Chiefs Sunday

LANSING, MI – The Lansing Lugnuts swept a Sunday doubleheader from the Chiefs, winning 5-1 and 5-3 at Jackson Field. The Lugnuts took five of six from Peoria over the course of the week.

GAME ONE:

Lansing scored a pair of runs in the first inning of Sunday’s doubleheader opener, a 5-1 win over the Chiefs.

Peoria starter Pete Hansen retired the first two batters he faced in quick fashion before the two-out rally. Following a single to Euribiel Angeles, back-to-back triples from Will Simpson and Brayan Buelvas opened up a 2-0 lead.

The Chiefs placed runners at first and second in the top of the second inning, but a double play stymied Peoria’s chance for a quick response.

Hansen settled in to dispatch nine of the next Lansing batters he faced but another extra-base hit doomed him in the fourth. After a two-out walk, Cole Conn doubled to the wall in left field to score Danny Bautista and usher in a 3-0 advantage.

Peoria scratched a run in the sixth inning on a Brody Moore RBI groundout to cut the deficit to 3-1, but they would get no closer. In the home half of the sixth, Luke Mann launched a long two-run home run off of Roy Garcia to create the final score.

Game one of Sunday’s doubleheader was completed in just one hour and 23 minutes.

GAME TWO:

Despite a three-run first inning, the Lansing Lugnuts rallied past the Peoria Chiefs 5-3 in Sunday’s doubleheader and series finale.

The Chiefs jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning with Michael Curialle offering the big blow. With Peoria already in front 1-0, Curialle tripled to the alley in right center, giving the visitors the aforementioned 3-0 bulge.

Lansing wasted no time, responding with two runs in the home half of the first. Hancel Rincon, who made his second start of the series, allowed the first four men to reach in the Lansing first, cutting the lead to 3-1. An RBI fielder’s choice later made it 3-2.

From there, the Peoria offense was puzzled. Lansing starter Chen Zhong-Ao Zhuang and piggyback reliever Mitch Myers teamed up to retire the next 16 batters after the Curialle triple.

The Lugnuts took the lead for good in the bottom of the third. Brayan Buelvas singled in Henry Bolte to tie the score. The next batter, Luke Mann, tripled into the right field corner after the ball caromed away off the side wall in foul territory. The third three-bagger of the day gave Lansing a 4-3 cushion.

Lansing tacked on an insurance run in the fifth inning. Buelvas swiped third base off of Tyler Bradt and a throwing error from catcher Leonardo Bernal allowed Buelvas to trot home with Lansing’s fifth unanswered run and a 5-3 lead.

It was Bernal who snapped the streak of 16 in a row retired with a solid single into right center. He was quickly erased by a 5-4-3 double play to stymie the Peoria rally.

After an off day on Monday, the Chiefs will continue their 12-game road trip in Fort Wayne on Tuesday.