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MWL1 Great Lakes Loons

Loons Edge TinCaps, 2-1

June 29, 2012 - Midwest League (MWL1)
Great Lakes Loons News Release


MIDLAND, MI - The Great Lakes Loons held on for the 2-1 victory Friday night at Dow Diamond, where Loons pitchers cruised over the Fort Wayne TinCaps in front of a sell-out crowd of 5,208 fans.

Down 2-0, the TinCaps made things interesting in the ninth inning, when Loons closer Yimi Garcia allowed two batters on base with no outs. Garcia was replaced by Thomas, who allowed one hit to score the TinCaps lone run of the night. But Thomas finished strong with two bases-loaded strikeouts that secured the win for the Loons. Thomas picked up the save, his second of the year.

Prior to the ninth, the Loons pitching squad had only faced one more batter than the minimum and only allowed two hits. Making his Midwest League debut and starting for the Loons was 21-year-old Duke von Schamann. The Dodgers recent draft pick out of Texas Tech made his first professional start a good one, throwing four innings of scoreless baseball, allowing two hits and striking out one.

"Playing in the Big 12 for three years, it really gets you ready for pro ball [and the] huge crowds," von Schamann said after the start. "I've done that before and from that experience I find that if you just go out there and have good command, things work out for you."

von Schamann pitched three scoreless innings in the Pioneer League for the Ogden Raptors before being added to the Loons roster on Wednesday. Coming in for von Schamann in the fifth was Juan Noriega, who received the win for blanking the TinCaps through two frames. Matt Shelton followed suit with two hitless innings to lead the Loons through the eighth.

Offensively, the Loons scored their first run in the second inning, on a two-out error from TinCaps starter Adys Portillo, who misfielded a hit to the mound that scored Scott Schebler. Then with two runners on base, a questionable call ended the inning. Delvis Morales was called out in his run to first, though it looked like Fort Wayne's first baseman Travis Whitmore had left the bag to catch the throw. Loons manager John Shoemaker contested the call and was ejected. Angelo Songco was also ejected, but in the first.

The out proved not to matter in the end, as the Loons second run held up to be the game winner. It came through in the third inning. James Baldwin reached base on a walk and moved two bags on stolen bases, bringing his season total to 30. He came into score after Fort Wayne's catcher Austin Hedges dropped the third strike and sent the ball to first to record the strikeout. Meanwhile, an alert Baldwin raced towards home for the run.

The Great Lakes Loons host the rubber match against the TinCaps on Saturday night at Dow Diamond. RHP Arismendy Ozoria (4-4, 4.36) will get the start for the Loons against TinCaps RHP Colin Rea (1-4, 3.13). Following the game will be a Fireworks Loontacular powered by Dow Corning. Game time at 7:05 p.m.

The Great Lakes Loons are a sixth-year Single-A partner of the Los Angeles Dodgers and are in the middle of their 5th Anniversary Celebration, which kicked off in August 2011 and will continue throughout the 2012 season. For more information about the Loons, visit Loons.com or call 989-837-BALL.

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