MWL1 Great Lakes Loons

Loons Drill Burlington, 11-3

Published on July 24, 2009 under Midwest League (MWL1)
Great Lakes Loons News Release


BURLINGTON, IA - Three home runs powered the Great Lakes Loons to an 11-3 win over the Burlington Bees in the rubber game of a three-game series at Community Field in Eastern Iowa. The Loons won the final two games of the series and moved over .500 in the second half for the first time at 14-13.

Tony Delmonico's two-run homer, the third of the night for the Loons, proved to be the game-winner. He snapped a 3-3 tie with his long drive to left center field in the top of the sixth inning.

Great Lakes never trailed in the contest, jumping out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning on a two-run shot to straightaway centerfield by Midwest League home-run leader Kyle Russell. Anthony Hatch, who had walked with two outs, scored his first of four runs on the Russell homer.

Burlington scratched out single runs in both the second and third innings to knot the game at 2-2. Sean McCauley stroked a two-out double to plate a run in the second, and Patrick Norris manufactured a run in the third when he walked, stole second and advanced to third when the throw went into centerfield, and came home on a sacrifice fly by Adrian Ortiz.

Hatch led off the fourth inning with a solo home run to left center to put the Loons right back on top at 3-2. It was his fifth homer of the season and first since May 30.

Burlington again rallied to tie in the fifth on a two-out RBI single by Norris, but the Bees cost themselves a run with a strange play to end the inning. With the speedy Norris on second, Ortiz bounced a single into left field that seemed destined to plate Norris and give the Bees their first lead, but Norris eased up to a slow jog towards home plate while Ortiz took the turn and headed for second base. The throw to second base by Angelo Songco beat Ortiz to the bag and Norris to the plate, and with the third out recorded a split second before Norris crossed the plate, home plate umpire Matt Benham ruled the run did not count, and the score remained 3-3 heading to the sixth.

After Delmonico's homer restored the lead, the Loons tacked on six more runs in the seventh and eighth innings. Great Lakes scored three runs on one hit, two walks, an error, a hit batsman and three wild pitches by Riquy Pena in the seventh. It added three more in the eighth on a two-RBI triple by Russell and another wild pitch that scored Russell from third.

Josh Walter (6-3) got the win, working the first five innings and allowing just three hits and three runs (two earned) with two walks and six strikeouts. Steve Smith worked three scoreless innings in relief of Walter, and Robert Boothe pitched a scoreless ninth.

Hatch finished the game with four runs scored. The heart of the Loons' lineup - Hatch, Russell and Delmonico - went 6-for-12 with three homers, three walks, eight runs and eight RBIs.

Mike Lehmann (3-4) took the loss for the Bees, allowing the first five Loons runs on 10 hits. Both Pena and Dusty Odenbach allowed three runs in relief stints for Burlington

The Loons now head to Quad Cities for a three-game series with the River Bandits that starts on Saturday night at Modern Woodman Park. Bobby Blevins (7-7, 3.95) takes the mound for the Loons opposite River Bandits' right-hander Jorge Rondon (0-1, 4.50). First pitch is set for 7:00 p.m. with pre-game coverage starting at 6:30 p.m. on ESPN 100.9-FM and worldwide on Loons.com.

The Great Lakes Loons are the third-year Single-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers and members of the Midwest League. For more information about the Loons, visit Loons.com or call 989-837-BALL.

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Midwest League Stories from July 24, 2009


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