MWL1 Great Lakes Loons

Loons Hold off Cedar Rapids

Published on July 13, 2012 under Midwest League (MWL1)
Great Lakes Loons News Release


MIDLAND, MI - The Great Lakes Loons (9-11, 43-47) downed the Cedar Rapids Kernels (7-13, 39-51) 7-6 Thursday night at Dow Diamond in front of 5,012 fans, winning the series with still one game to play against the Los Angeles Angels Single-A affiliate.

For the second night in a row, the Kernels loaded the bases in the ninth inning, only to watch the Loons prevail. The Kernels cashed in on two runs and pulled to within one on a two-out infield single to shortstop Darnell Sweeney. But the Loons third baseman Jesse Bosnik ended the rally with a great stop on a ground ball hit near the same spot as Sweeney's.

"It was bizarre. As the play is going through my mind, I'm seeing the same thing happen [as the play before]," Bosnik said. "In those situations you always want the ball. So I went and tried to make a play and it worked out...That's almost as good as a walk-off."

Reliever Mike Thomas did a good job securing the Loons third win in a row, entering with one out in the ninth. He picked up the save, his fifth, after allowing two of Yimi Garcia's runs to score. Garcia started the ninth and surrendered a leadoff hit and issued two walks to load the bases. Getting the win was starter Raydel Sanchez (3-4), who fanned five Kernels and walked four. He allowed four runs on five hits in his five innings of work. The Loons pitching crew offered a combined total of 11 walks.

Down one run in the fifth, the Loons tied the game on Joe Winker's shallow sac-fly to right field, and then took the 6-4 lead on a home run to left field from O'Koyea Dickson, scoring two. The home run was Dickson's eighth of the year. The team added one more in the seventh, when Sweeney shot a grounder through the gap at second to score James Baldwin, who tripled to get aboard. Baldwin's score proved to be the game-winner.

The Kernels jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first inning, but the Loons answered by scoring a run in the first inning without a recording a hit, and took the lead in the second with Jan Vazquez's RBI-single and a run from Abel Baker's throwing error to second, an unsuccessful attempt to stop Baldwin from stealing his 31st base of the year.

The Great Lakes Loons will play game two of their three-game series with the Cedar Rapids Kernels on Friday night at Dow Diamond. Starting for the Loons will be RHP Ralston Cash (1-5, 6.03) against the Kernels RHP Cam Bedrosian (2-6, 5.71). A roving mariachi band will be at the game for Loons Latino Night, and a Salsa Dance Party will follow the game.

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.

Check out the Great Lakes Loons Statistics

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



Midwest League Stories from July 13, 2012


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