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Dickson Delivers in Loons Win

August 13, 2012 - Midwest League (MWL) Great Lakes Loons

MIDLAND, MI - In the bottom of the ninth inning with two outs and the bases loaded with Loons, first baseman O'Koyea Dickson connected for a single that dropped into right field to produce the game-winning run for the Great Lakes Loons (23-27, 57-63), defeating the Lansing Lugnuts (27-21, 75-43) Monday night at Dow Diamond by the score of 5-4.

"The whole night they were busting me in a little," Dickson said after the game. "I was going to take the first pitch [in that final at-bat], unless it was middle in, and they kept pitching away. So I just told myself to relax and shoot something to right field and I was fortunate enough to do it."

Dickson finished the night 3 for 4 with one run and one RBI for the Loons, who avoided the sweep from Lansing with the victory. Jesse Bosnik led off the inning with a double to left, before Lansing reliever Ian Kadish issued a pair of two-out walks to set the table for Dickson. Kadish was charged with the loss, his first.

The Loons held a two-run lead entering the final frame, but the Lugnuts rallied to tie it up in the ninth inning by receiving three walks, a balk and a wild pitch from Juan Rodriguez. The Loons reliever delivered a strikeout to end the inning and was accredited the win, alongside his second blown save of the season.

The Loons got off to an early lead in a first inning that was extended by a catching error from Lansing first baseman K.C. Hobson, allowing Dickson to get on board. Pratt Maynard worked a single that deflected off Shane Optiz and scored Dickson. Nick Akins followed that with a double to the left-field corner to make it 2-0. The Lugnuts tied the game with one swing from Kevin Patterson, who lifted a home run to right field off of Loons starting pitcher Gustavo Gomez in the fourth inning, tying the game 2-2. Gomez accumulated seven strikeouts through 5.1 innings of work.

Former Central Michigan baseball star Jesse Hernandez started on the hill for the Lugnuts. The Grand Rapids-native allowed the Loons only two unearned runs on five hits in six innings of work. He struck out one and walked another.

Tied 2-2 in the seventh with no outs and facing Lansing's first relief pitcher of the night, the Loons connected for back-to-back home runs. Scott Schebler started the inning off with a high-flying drive into the tunnel in right field. Jesse Bosnik followed with a homer, also to right field. The consecutive home runs are the first since James Baldwin and Darnell Sweeney strung two together earlier in the month.

Loons reliever Jose Dominguez shook off his last appearance at Dow Diamond, a 0.1-inning session where he allowed Dayton four runs, with a solid night that was capped off by escaping a two-on one-out situation in the eighth inning. Dominguez left the game in line for the win, recording 2.2 innings of one-hit baseball, holding Lansing without a run with five strikeouts to two walks.

The Great Lakes Loons take the day off Tuesday before returning to Dow Diamond on Wednesday, August 15, to begin a three-game set with the Bowling Green Hot Rods (30-20). Starting for the Loons will be LHP Greg Wilborn (2-1, 4.23) against the Hot Rods RHP Parker Markel (8-5, 3.99). The first 1,000 fans through the gates, which open at 6:00 p.m., will receive an Alex Delvecchio bobblehead as a part of the Red Wings Legends Series, presented by MidMichigan Health.

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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Midwest League Stories from August 13, 2012


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