Hawks Split Twin Bill with Lugnuts

August 2, 2013 - Midwest League (MWL1)
South Bend Silver Hawks News Release


It was the best of games, it was the worst of games for the South Bend Silver Hawks at Coveleski Regional Stadium on Thursday night. The Hawks won Game 1 of the double-header with the Lansing Lugnuts in come-from-behind fashion, with second baseman Fidel Pena lacing a walk-off single in a 3-2, eight-inning victory. Game 2, however, was all Lansing as the Lugnuts launched three home runs in the first two innings to race out to an 8-0 lead and win in a 12-6 rout.

Game 1:

It took an extra inning of play, but the Silver Hawks were able to claw their way from behind to rally for a victory in the eighth. Shortstop Andrew Velazquez's head first slide into home beat the throw from Lugnuts first baseman Jordan Leyland to score the winning run in the 3-2 game one win.

The Lansing Lugnuts, Class-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays, jumped out to an early lead in the first inning. Center fielder Dwight Smith Jr. and shortstop Emilio Guerrero led off the inning with back-to-back singles and quickly advanced to third and second respectively on a passed ball. Second baseman Christian Lopes brought home the first run of the game as his sacrifice fly to left plated Smith Jr. to give the Lugnuts a 1-0 lead.

Lansing tacked on another run in the third. Guerrero led off the inning with a single back up the middle to center. After hitting into a fielder's choice, Lopes traded spots with Guerrero at first and moved up to second on catcher Michael Perez's second passed ball of the game. Hawks starter Rob Coe then proceeded to walk designated hitter Kevin Patterson and plunk right fielder Carlos Ramirez to load the bases with only one out. Lopes added to the Lugnuts run tally as he crossed the plate thanks to left fielder Chris Hawkins' sacrifice fly to right, putting the Lugnuts in front 2-0.

The Hawks bats finally woke up in the fourth. Second baseman Fidel Pena led off the frame with a double to the left field corner off Lansing starter Kendall Graveman. After advancing to third on center fielder Socrates Brito's 5-3 groundout, Pena came home on designated hitter Brandon Drury's sacrifice fly to center to cut South Bend's deficit to 2-1.

Lansing threatened again in the fifth inning as Lopes laced a double to the leftfield corner by the Lugnuts bullpen and then moved up to third on Patterson's 3-1 groundout. From that point on, Coe tightened down on the Lugnuts and kept them off the scoreboard the rest of the way as he went six innings, giving up two runs, with only one being earned.

The Silver Hawks, Class-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks knotted the game in the sixth. Lansing starter, Graveman, exited after five innings of work in which he allowed one run, on two hits, while striking out two. Relief pitcher Eric Brown entered for the Lugnuts and gave up a single to left to Velazquez. Hawkins took a bad route to field the ball in left and was unable to corral it as it bounced high and over his head allowing Velazquez to reach third on the fielding error. Pena followed with a single to left to bring Velazquez home and tie the game at 2-2.

Hawks reliever Enrique Burgos worked out of a bases loaded jam in the seventh and Henry Garcia (5-0) used an inning ending double play to shut the door on the Lugnuts in the eighth. In the bottom of the eighth, Velazquez broke his bat on an offering from Lansing reliever Ian Kadish (4-4). As Velazquez's bat headed for Kadish's feet, the ball bounced off the side of the mound, allowing Velazquez to reach first on the infield single. After Velazquez stole second, Pena followed by rocketing a grounder down the first base line. As Leyland dove towards the ball at first, it hit off the tip of his glove and rolled into foul territory. This was all the time that Velazaquez needed to round third and head home, beating the throw with a head-first slide and giving the Hawks the victory in game one.

Game 2:

Three long balls were enough for the Lugnuts to build a large lead early and chase Hawks starter Kyle Schepel from the game before completing two innings of work.

The Lugnuts (46-62, 14-25) wasted no time before beginning the offensive onslaught in the first. Center fielder Dwight Smith Jr. led off with a single to center. Shortstop Emilio Guerrero followed with a single of his own. Lansing quickly put a crooked number on the board when second baseman Christian Lopes cleared the bases with his homer to left on a 2-0 Schepel offering to give the Lugnuts a 3-0 lead.

Lansing's offense remained hot in the second inning. First baseman Jordan Leyland connected on a lead- off single to center. Then Smith Jr. stepped to the plate and hit a towering homerun down the right field line, just inside the foul pole. Guerrero lofted a fly ball into shallow center that fell for a base hit as center fielder Breland Almadova lost it in the lights. Lopes then doubled to right as the ball bounced in front of right fielder Socrates Brito and then over his head, allowing Smith Jr. to score from first. The Lugnuts were not done yet as designated hitter Kevin Patterson followed with a two run homer to right to pad the lead to 8-0. After a single to left by catcher Santiago Nessy, Schepel's (4-2) night came to an end, giving way to Yoimer Camacho, who ended the rally.

Lansing added another run in third. Leyland led off with a single down the third baseline. Third baseman Kellen Sweeney's double to right moved Leyland up to third. After Camacho walked Smith Jr. to load the bases, Leyland crossed home on Guerrero's 6-3 groundout for a 9-0 Lugnut advantage.

The Silver Hawks (67-42, 23-17) collected their first hit and got on the board in the fourth. After three innings of no-hit work, while striking out three, Lansing starter Matt Boyd gave way to Colton Turner. Brito was the first to face Turner and he roped a double into the left field corner. After Brito advanced to third on a wild pitch and a walk to third baseman Brandon Drury, Brito scored the Hawks first run when first baseman Rudy Flores hit into a 4-6-3 double play.

The Toronto affiliate reached double digits in the run column in the fifth. Smith Jr. and Guerrero connected on back-to-back singles. A Patterson double to deep left center allowed Smith Jr. to score and put the Lugnuts back in front by nine runs at 10-1.

South Bend threatened in the bottom half of the fifth. Left fielder Alex Glenn doubled to the right field corner and advanced to third on a wild pitch. With two outs, Turner walked second baseman Pedro Ruiz and shortstop Andrew Velazquez to load the bases. The Silver Hawks were unable to push any runs across as Turner collected back-to-back strike outs on Almadova and Brito as South Bend left the bases loaded.

Tyler Green entered in relief for the Hawks in the sixth. Left fielder Chris Hawkins led the Lugnut charge with a double to the right field corner. A single up the middle by Leyland brought Hawkins home. Sweeney followed with a single of his own to left to advance Leyland to third. The fourth consecutive hit of the inning, a single to left by Smith Jr. loaded the bases. However, the hit parade continued with another single to left, this one by Lopes, which scored Leyland to push the Lugnuts lead to 12-1.

After three innings of relief that included six punch-outs, Turner (1-0) gave way to Chad Girodo in the seventh. Catcher Michael Perez singled to right field to start the Hawks rally. Girodo walked Glenn and gave up a seeing-eye single to Ruiz as the ball rolled next to the foul line coming to rest in front of the third base bag to load the bases. Almadova laced a double to center to score Perez and Glenn, cutting the Lugnuts lead to 12-3. The Hawks were not done yet, as Brito followed with an RBI single to center as Ruiz crossed the plate. Brito then stole second to get into scoring position before Drury's 5-3 groundout scored Almadova. With South Bend inching their way back into the game, Lansing made a call to the bullpen for Arik Sikula. Flores was the first to face Sikula and hit a flare to shallow center to bring the Hawks within 12-6 as Brito came around to score from second. However, Sikula got catcher Roidany Aguila to pop out to first to end the ballgame.

The two teams will be back in action at Coveleski Regional Stadium on Friday evening. First pitch is slated for 7:35pm and will feature Taylor Cole (5-10, 4.23 ERA) for the Lugnuts and Jesse Darrah (9-6, 4.03) on the bump for the Silver Hawks. Make sure to stick around for the postgame Friday Fireworks Spectacular.



Midwest League Stories from August 2, 2013


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