MWL1 Lansing Lugnuts

Laster's Blasts Drop Lugnuts in Game One

Published on September 5, 2007 under Midwest League (MWL1)
Lansing Lugnuts News Release


LANSING- Jeramy Laster's two home runs lifted the West Michigan Whitecaps to a 6-2 win over the Lansing Lugnuts at Oldsmobile Park in the first game of a best-of-three playoff series.

The Lugnuts entered the game winners of 14 straight at home, but fell behind in the early going when Scott Sizemore smashed a solo homer to left field that put the Whitecaps up 1-0 in the first.

Lansing answered back in the bottom of the frame when Travis Snider crushed a solo shot himslef to tie it up at 1-1.

The starting pitchers were able to take over from there as Lansing's Julio Pinto and West Michigan's Duane Below traded scoreless frames.

However in the sixth, Laster cracked a two-run homer off of Pinto to give the Whitecaps a 3-1 lead. It would be Pinto's final inning of work.

Lansing rallied in the seventh by loading the bases with two away. Jonathan Diaz then drew a walk to force in pinch-runner Jonathan Baksh to make it 3-2. That free pass also forced Below out of the game, but Casey Fien was able to whiff Scott Campbell to end the threat.

From there the Whitecaps were able to take over in the eighth. Laster hammered his second two-run homer of the night to put his club up 5-2. He ws then immediately followed up by Ryan Strieby's solo jack that ended the scoring at 6-2.

The game ended in a bit of controversy though, as Brian Pettway was called for a third strike when he stepped out of the batter's box with an 0-2 count on him.

Below (1-0) got the win for the Whitecaps by tossing 6 2/3 innings and allowing just two runs on four hits while striking out seven.

Fien nailed down the save, throwing the final 2 1/3 frames of shutout baseball.

Pinto (0-1) suffered the loss for Lansing by surrendering three runs on six hits over six innings.

Lansing will now have to win two consecutive ballgames on the road in order to move on to the next round. Game two of the series is Thursday night at Fifth Third Ballpark with first pitch set for 7:00 p.m. Adrian Martin (2-2, 0.83) will get the call for the Lugnuts, while Matt O'Brien (7-2, 2.19) will try to close the series out for the Whitecaps.

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Midwest League Stories from September 5, 2007


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