MWL1 Great Lakes Loons

Loons Edge LumberKings, 3-1

Published on July 21, 2010 under Midwest League (MWL1)
Great Lakes Loons News Release


MIDLAND, MI - Getting ahead early, the Great Lakes Loons sat on their two-run lead through the final seven innings to defeat the Clinton LumberKings 3-1 Wednesday night, in front of a crowd of 5,597.

Clinton's shortstop Nick Franklin put the LumberKings on the board first with a home run to right field. The homer was Franklin's 18th, placing him first among active Midwest League players and even with former-Loon Jerry Sands, who last played in the MWL on 6/20.

The Loons tied the game in the bottom of the inning on Angelo Songco's RBI-single to right that scored Christian Lara, who led off with a double. Great Lakes took the lead in the second inning when third baseman Brian Ruggiano launched a fly ball over the left-field wall to score two.

"Yea, it feels good," Ruggiano said of his home run, which proved to be the game-winner. "[Clinton starter Nolan Gallagher] left a change-up up for me, and so I jumped all over the first pitch of the at-bat and it got out of there."

Loons starter Allen Webster notched his league-leading ninth win, limiting Clinton to one run on three hits across five innings. The right-hander fanned five L-Kings and walked two, before being relieved by southpaw Jordan Roberts, who pitched 2.2 scoreless.

Steve Smith entered in the eighth with two outs and a man on first and surrendered a double to Vinnie Catricala on his second pitch that moved the runner to third. Smith worked his next batter to a full count before dropping Henry Contreras on strikes to end the inning and preserve the lead, for his 11th hold. Luis Vasquez came in to pitch the ninth inning and earned his 16th save of the year.

Outfielder Brian Cavazos-Galvez tied a Loons franchise record in the fourth inning, hitting a lead-off single to improve his hit streak to 19 games in a row. Galvez tied Eduardo Perez's 19-game hit streak set from 6/23/2007 to 7/28/2007.

Pitching coach Chuck Crim was ejected by home plate umpire John Bacon after the final out of the top of the first inning, and Lara got tossed by Bacon in the bottom of eight.

The Loons will host game two of their three-game series against Clinton on Thursday and will send RHP Matt Magill (4-2, 3.38) to the mound against the LumberKings RHP Taylor Stanton (7-4, 3.91). Thursday marks the fourth part of the Tigers Legend Series; the first 1,000 fans that enter Dow Diamond will receive a Bill Freehan bobblehead. Gates open at 6:00 p.m. for the 7:05 game.

The Great Lakes Loons are a fourth-year Single-A partner 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.

Check out the Great Lakes Loons Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



Midwest League Stories from July 21, 2010


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central