Echavarria Whiffs Nine, Offense Explodes in 13-2 Bludgeoning of Captains
MWL Lansing Lugnuts

Echavarria Whiffs Nine, Offense Explodes in 13-2 Bludgeoning of Captains

Published on August 7, 2026 under Midwest League (MWL)
Lansing Lugnuts News Release


LANSING, MI - Steven Echavarria struck out a career-high nine hitters in six innings and Pedro Pineda put the bow on an eight-run fifth inning with a three-run homer to center field to lead the Lansing Lugnuts (17-22, 46-57) to a 13-2 series-clinching victory over the Lake County Captains (17-21, 54-48) in front of a Friday night crowd of 7,425 at Jackson Field™. The Lugnuts have now won five games in a row and seven straight at home. A day after turning 21, Echavarria was brilliant over six innings, allowing just two hits and a single run - a Jace LaViolette solo home run in the first - with three walks. With nine strikeouts, Echavarria set a new personal record, besting his previous three seven-strikeout performances, the last of which came on June 29, 2025. He finished with a flourish, firing a 100-mph fastball past LaViolette to end the sixth. After locking up the Lugnuts over the opening four innings, Captains starter Harrison Bodendorf ran out of gas in the fifth. After a Pineda strikeout and a C.J. Pittaro groundout, a hit-by-pitch of Bryan Arendt sparked a barrage of offense from nearly every player in the lineup. A Rodney Green Jr. double (his third in two nights) set up a Jared Sprague-Lott two-run single to right-center field to give Lansing its first lead of the game, 2-1. Logan Sauve followed with a single to center, and Ali Camarillo tacked on a run with an RBI double off the wall in left field.

The deluge of runs forced the Captains to make a pitching change, turning to reliever Luis Flores. Flores issued a walk to Daniel Bucciero and allowed a two-run single to Breyson Guedez to widen the deficit to 5-1.

Having batted around, Pineda capped off the eight-run inning with a 419-foot blast to center field, his fifth round-tripper of the season, leading to a mob of celebration in the dugout.

In the seventh, the Nuts added two more runs off of reliever Cam Schuelke; a Pittaro RBI double brought in Bucciero and a groundout from Arendt scored Guedez for a 10-1 lead. In the eighth, a bases-loaded walk of Pineda, Pittaro RBI single and an Arendt fielder's choice gave the Nuts a 13-1 advantage.

In the winning effort, Pineda finished 1-for-3 and led the team with four RBIs, also scoring a run and drawing two walks; Sauve went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and a walk; Guedez hit 2-for-5 with two RBIs and two runs scored; Pittaro finished 2-for-5 with two RBIs; Green went 2-for-4 with a run scored and a walk, Bucciero went 1-for-3 with two walks and three runs scored; and Sprague-Lott went 1-for-3 with two RBIs, two walks and a run scored.

In relief, Mitch Myers pitched a scoreless two innings before Gerlin Rosario finished the game, allowing a Welbyn Francisca solo home run in the ninth.

Samuel Dutton will take the mound for Lansing on Saturday, opposing Lake County's Jacob Zibin. Gates open at 5:30 p.m. for Harry Potter Night, with the first 1,000 fans receiving a Leo De Vries wizard bobblehead and LAFCU fireworks set for after the game. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05. For tickets and more information, call (517) 485-4500 or visit www.milb.com/lansing.

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Midwest League Stories from August 7, 2026


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