Big inning does Lugnuts in as Lansing falls in homestand opener

May 31, 2005 - Midwest League (MWL1)
Lansing Lugnuts News Release

Lansing, Mich.- For the second time in three games, the Lugnuts(26-25) allowed a big inning as the Clinton LumberKings(30-22) scored eight runs in the third inning and got stellar pitching to knock off Lansing in the series opener at Oldsmobile Park on Tuesday night. The loss was the Lugnuts third straight and drops them to .500(13-13) at home.

After a scoreless first inning, Emerson Frostad homered to right to lead off the second off Danny Core(1-2) to give the visitors a 1-0 lead. Lansing would look like it was going to respond in the bottom of the inning when Chip Cannon walked to start the frame and went to third on a double by Ryan Klosterman. But LumberKings starter Eric Hurley(5-1) bore down and retired the next three hitters to snap the threat.

Clinton would then hit Core hard in the third to break the game wide open. After Brandon Boggs was retired to start the frame, Clinton hitters would collect nine straight hits off Core and Jordy Templet to turn the lead to 9-0. Tug Hullett singled to left and scored on a two-run homer by Jim Fasano to make it 3-0. Adam Fox then homered to left. Kevin Richardson reached on a broken bat infield single and scored on a double to right by Frostad, making it 5-0. Andrew Wishy and Ben Harrison then collected hits to drive home Frostad and make it 6-0. Boggs two-run double made it 8-0 and an RBI groundout by Tug Hullett scored Casey Benjamin to complete the eight-run frame. Core lasted only 2.1 innings, giving up a season high nine hits and eight earned runs to take the loss.

Lansing's lone offense came in the sixth when Cannon blasted a two-out, two-run homer to right to get Lansing on the board, scoring Eric Nielsen who was hit by a pitch. The other lone highlights were from the Lugnuts bullpen as Templet allowed a run over 3.2 innings and Juan Perez worked three shutout innings to finish off the night.

Hurley worked six innings and fanned eight on a night when the Lugnuts would strike out 14 times on the night. Mike Padgett and John Lujan would work the final three innings to finish off the game, combining to strike out six.

The Lugnuts will try to snap their three-game losing streak tomorrow night as they turn to A.J. Wideman(4-2). Michael Schlact(4-2) will toe the rubber for the LumberKings. Game time is 7:05 p.m. from Oldsmobile Park.

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