Lugnuts Drop Dragons, Reach Playoffs Via Tiebreaker
Published on June 19, 2011 under Midwest League (MWL1)
Lansing Lugnuts News Release
DAYTON, OH - Behind the strong pitching of Drew Hutchison and a Great Lakes loss to Fort Wayne, the Lansing Lugnuts (38-29) clinched their first playoff berth since 2008 with an 8-2 over the Dayton Dragons on a rainy Sunday afternoon at Fifth Third Field in Dayton.
With first place Bowling Green having locked up the first Easter Division playoff spot, the Lugnuts entered the day requiring a win in their first half finale and a loss from Great Lakes in order to qualify for the postseason.
The Fort Wayne TinCaps delivered half of the Lugnuts' wish list, blanking the Loons 5-0 at Dow Diamond, while the Lugs' 20-year-old ace and 20-year-old trio of All-Star outfielders took care of business in Dayton.
The outcomes left Lansing and Great Lakes in a virtual tie for second place in the Eastern Division, with the Lugnuts winning the tiebreaker of winning percentage (.567 to .565) due to playing two fewer games than their intrastate rivals.
Hutchison (Win, 6-2) extended his scoreless innings streak to 27, working his fourth straight outing of six shutout innings. The right-hander limited Dayton to just two hits and a walk in his six innings of work, striking out ten.
Center fielder Jake Marisnick set the tone immediately, leading off the game against Dayton's Kyle Lotzkar (Loss, 0-1) with his sixth home run of the season.
Lansing put the game away with a six-run fourth, featuring home runs from left fielder Marcus Knecht (his team-leading eighth) and center fielder Michael Crouse (his sixth) and climaxed by an Oliver Dominguez two-run triple.
Usual Lugnuts starter Sean Nolin struck out the side in the seventh inning, serving up a Yorman Rodriguez solo blast.
Brandon Berl pitched the final two frames, allowing a Rodriguez RBI infield single in the ninth.
The Lugnuts open the second half on Jackson Field with Country Night at 7:05 p.m. on Friday, June 24th, against the Great Lakes Loons. LAFCU Fireworks will follow the game. Tickets are available for purchase online at www.lansinglugnuts.com, at the stadium box office, and by calling 517-485-4500.
Midwest League Stories from June 19, 2011
- Lugnuts Drop Dragons, Reach Playoffs Via Tiebreaker - Lansing Lugnuts
- Kernels held to three hits in 4-1 loss to Wisconsin - Cedar Rapids Kernels
- Snappers Take Series with 5-1 Win - Burlington Bees
- Chiefs Lose 7th Straight Sunday - Peoria Chiefs
- Wisconsin closes out first half with a win - Wisconsin Timber Rattlers
- Bandits finish first half finale with sweep - Quad Cities River Bandits
- Cates, Powers Lead TinCaps to 5-0 Win - Fort Wayne TinCaps
- Four Errors Foil Loons Bid for Playoffs - Great Lakes Loons
- 13-Inning Marathon Ends with 10-5 Loss - West Michigan Whitecaps
- Hot Rods Win First-Half Eastern Division Title - Bowling Green Hot Rods
- Captains Snap Skid, Explode for 10-5 Win in 13 Innings - Lake County Captains
- Dragons Fall to Lugnuts, 8-2 - Dayton Dragons
- Silver Hawks Finish Half with Tough Loss - South Bend Silver Hawks
- Cougars Blanked by Clinton in Finale - Kane County Cougars
- Fernandez Goes Seven Scoreless Innings Leading to LumberKings 1-0 Win over Cougars - Clinton LumberKings
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