MWL1 Lansing Lugnuts

Lugnuts come up a foot short

Published on April 19, 2004 under Midwest League (MWL1)
Lansing Lugnuts News Release


LANSING – With the game tied 1-1 in the bottom of the 9th, Brian Dopirak thought he had his first walk-off homerun of the season when he hit a shot to deep left field. He circled the bases only to have the umpires rule that the ball bounced off the top of the wall and not over, taking away the homerun and the win for a ground-ruled double. The Lugnuts could not come through on the opportunity and stranded the runner to send the game into extra innings, the 3rd such game out of Lansing's last five.

South Bend made short work in the 10th, as Jeff Cook led off with a double to right. He moved over to third on a sacrifice bunt by Lino Garcia and easily scored on a Miguel Montero's sacrifice fly to deep centerfield. The run held as the game winner for the Silver Hawks(9-2), taking it 2-1. The loss makes three straight for the Lugnuts(6-5), all by one run.

Lansing got on the board first in the 4th inning when Ryan Fitzgerald walked and Dopirak launched one to centerfield that was also debated as a homerun. This one was a much easier ruling as the ball got lodged in the padding of the wall, putting him on second base and Fitzgerald on third. Kevin Collins got the run across on his sacrifice fly to put Lansing up 1-0.

South Bend came right back in the top of the 5th as Garcia led off with a bunt single and moved to second on a wild pitch. A quick RBI single by Michael Goss to score Garcia tied it up 1-1. The score held the rest of the way as both starters pitched well. The Silver Hawk's William Juarez went 7 innings, giving up 5 hits and one run, while Marshall threw 8 innings, allowing one run and striking out a season-high 9 batters.

Adalberto Mendez(1-1) pitched the last 2 innings for Lansing to take the loss. Billy Biggs(1-0), just called up to South Bend today, got his first win in 2 innings of relief for Juarez. Aric LeClair pitched a perfect 10th for his first save.

After winning the first game of the series with South Bend, the Lugnuts dropped the last three. Lansing opens up its first series against Beloit this season Tuesday night as Ronald Bay faces the Snappers' Brian Montalbo. Game time is 6:05 p.m.

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Midwest League Stories from April 19, 2004


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