Lugnuts get best of Cougars for third straight time
September 6, 2004 - Midwest League (MWL1)
Lansing Lugnuts News Release
GENEVA, IL- Drew Larsen drove home three runs and Kris Gross hurled four shutout innings as the Lugnuts(77-62, 39-30) defeated the Kane County Cougars(82-56, 39-30) for the third straight time, this time by a 5-1 score at Elfstrom Stadium. The win moves Lansing into a first-place tie with West Michigan in the Eastern Division standings.
Larsen's groundout in the first scored Chris Walker, who had singled earlier, to give Lansing an early 1-0 lead. Kane County rallied to tie the score off Ronald Bay in the bottom of the inning on a groundout by David Castillo. A strong throw by Kevin Collins in left helped preserve the tie as he gunned out Vasili Spanos at the plate to end the inning. In his final start of the season, Bay worked two innings and allowed four hits as he earned a no-decision.
Lansing retook the lead in the top of the second on singles by Robinson Chirinos and Uriak Marquez and a double play groundout by Carlos Rojas and then took charge with three runs in the fifth. Walker earned a one-out walk from Cougars' starter Chris Dunwell(11-8) and went to third on a single by Tony McQuade. Brian Dopirak followed with a run-scoring double to make it 3-1 and after an intentional walk to Collins, Larsen drove home McQuade and Dopirak to make it 5-1.
That would be enough for Gross(2-0), who fanned three before turning it over to Weston O'Brien in the seventh. O'Brien worked two scoreless innings and Adalberto Mendez worked a perfect ninth to complete the win.
The Lugnuts will wrap up the 2004 regular season on Labor Day at 3:00 p.m. as Walt Nolen takes the mound for Lansing against Jared Trout. The Lugnuts' first round playoff opponent will also be determined on Monday as well. The 2004 postseason opens on Wednesday, September 8th as the Lugnuts aim to defend their Midwest League Championship earned a year ago.
Midwest League Stories from September 6, 2004
- BC Yankees post 8th straight winning season - Southwest Michigan Devil Rays
- Cougars beat the Lugnuts, 11 - 10 - Kane County Cougars
- 'Caps Claim Second Half Division Championship; 'Caps to faceLansing in First Round of playofffs - West Michigan Whitecaps
- Kernels drop finale - Cedar Rapids Kernels
- Rottino Plays Every Position, Snappers Play Extras - Beloit Sky Carp
- Bees Finish Season on a High Note - Burlington Bees
- 'Caps Second Half Champs . . . Meet Lugnuts in Playoffs - West Michigan Whitecaps
- Rattler season ends with a loss - Wisconsin Timber Rattlers
- Yankees end season with extra-inning loss - Southwest Michigan Devil Rays
- Dragons End '04 Season with 7-4 11 Inning Win - Dayton Dragons
- Swing drop season finale, 2-1 - Quad Cities River Bandits
- Martinez sent to Provo - Cedar Rapids Kernels
- Kane County vs. Peoria in Round 1 of MWL Playoffs - Kane County Cougars
- Kendrick takes over Midwest League batting lead with one game remaining - Cedar Rapids Kernels
- Lugnuts get best of Cougars for third straight time - Lansing Lugnuts
- Tyler, DePaula and Sawatski combine on three-hitter - Quad Cities River Bandits
- Cougars lose to the Lugnuts, 5 - 1 - Kane County Cougars
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