Lugnuts open trip with loss to Clinton, 6-3
July 26, 2005 - Midwest League (MWL1)
Lansing Lugnuts News Release
CLINTON- Ian Gac went 2-4 with two runs batted in and the Clinton LumberKings(52-49, 14-17) used a four-run sixth inning to pull away from the Lugnuts(52-48, 15-16) and take the series opener between the clubs by a 6-3 score at Alliant Energy Field on Monday night.
The LumberKings took advantage of some wildness by Lansing starter Chi-Hung Cheng(4-6) in the early goings as Ben Harrison and Emerson Frostad earned back-to-back walks to start the second inning. Gac then singled to center to plate Harrison and as Frostad headed towards third, the throw to attempt to retire Frostad skipped past third. As Gac tried to take second, Cheng threw towards second, but threw the ball into right-center instead, allowing Frostad to score.
Lansing cut the lead to 2-1 in the third, but missed out on a huge chance when they loaded the bases with nobody out. However, Clinton starter Michael Schlact(8-5) induced a double play grounder off the bat of Christian Snavely. The play allowed David Corrente to score from third and after a walk to Eric Nielsen, Schlact escaped by getting David Hicks to ground out to second to end the inning.
In the sixth, Cheng walked the final two hitters he faced, losing Tug Hullett and Brandon Boggs to free passes. Jordy Templet relieved Cheng and got a big first out when he fielded Ben Harrison's sacrifice attempt and fired in time to third to force Hullett. Frostad then sent a grounder towards third, but instead of being another force play, the ball squibbed under Snavely's legs and into left field. Boggs scored to make it 3-1 and the wheels fell off for Templet and the Lugnuts. Gac followed with an RBI single to make it 4-1 and Craig Hurba also drove home a run with a single. Two batters later, a two-out single by Casey Benjamin scoed Gac to give Clinton a 6-1 lead heading into the seventh.
Lansing got the game's final runs by adding single tallies in the seventh and eighth. Snavely's RBI single, which extended his hitting streak to eight games, scored Corrente in the seventh and an RBI double by Yuber Rodriguez plated David Hicks.
Schlact lasted into the seventh inning, allowing eight hits and two earned runs. Cheng lasted only five, walking a season high six batters and allowed just one hit. However, the lefty has only one win since May 20th.
Corrente went 2-3 with two runs scored for the Lugnuts while new Lugnut Anthony Sanders was 3-4 in his first game in a losing effort for Lansing.
The Lugnuts and LumberKings will continue their four-game series on Tuesday night when Lansing will send right hander Danny Core to the mound. Clinton will counter with right hander Eric Hurley. Game time is set for 8:00 p.m. EST from Alliant Energy Field.
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