Loons Hold off TinCaps, 4-3
April 14, 2012 - Midwest League (MWL1)
Great Lakes Loons News Release
MIDLAND, MI - The Great Lakes Loons scored a solo run in four of the first five innings Saturday and held on late to defeat the visiting Fort Wayne TinCaps at Dow Diamond by the score of 4-3.
Loons right fielder Scott Schebler knocked a double to left field in the first inning to bring in Kevin Taylor, who reached base on a walk. The Loons scored again in the second and fourth innings on sac-flies, one from Justin Boudreaux and the next by Noel Cuevas. The team was gifted their final run on a two-out passed ball to score third baseman Jesse Bosnik.
Loons center fielder James Baldwin entered the season as the Loons top prospect, as rated by Baseball America, and was hitless (0-for-17) before the second inning of Saturday's game. The 20-year-old led off the inning with a double to the left-field corner.
"As soon as I came [to Midland] I struggled," Baldwin said after the game. "And [today] I wasn't too worried about getting a hit, I was just focused on winning the game for my team. It was just a great opportunity to get my first hit."
Baldwin recorded another highlight in the eighth inning as the TinCaps offense was starting to click. A double from Fort Wayne's Travis Whitmore brought the TinCaps to within one with two outs to go. The Loons brought in reliever Jason West to face Duanel Jones, who ripped a line drive to left-center field. Baldwin, however, made a great diving catch on the play to record the out and then turned two by getting the ball into second before Whitmore had returned.
The TinCaps had one more chance in the top of the ninth when West issued a pair of two-out walks, but the Texas-native remained in control and induced Jace Peterson into the third groundout of the inning. West received the save, his first, for 1.2 innings of hitless baseball.
Loons starter Gustavo Gomez (1-1) picked up the win, limiting the "Caps to one run on two hits through 5.2 innings. Matt Shelton entered the game in the sixth and pitched 1.2 innings, allowing two runs, one earned. Shelton received his second hold. Fort Wayne's starter Matthew Wisler (0-2) was charged with the loss.
The Loons will try for the series victory in the final game of the four-game series Sunday at 2:05 p.m. Starting for the Loons will be RHP Arismendy Ozoria (0-0, 4.15) against Fort Wayne's lefty Frank Garces (0-0, 0.00). The game at Dow Diamond will be a Family Fun in the SUNday, where post-game kids have the chance to run the bases, presented by Farm Bureau Insurance.
The Great Lakes Loons are a sixth-year Single-A partner of the Los Angeles Dodgers and are in the middle of their 5th Anniversary Celebration, which kicked off in August 2011 and will continue throughout the 2012 season. For more information about the Loons, visit Loons.com or call 989-837-BALL.
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