Lugnuts wipe out deficit and rally to win in second half opener

June 23, 2005 - Midwest League (MWL1)
Lansing Lugnuts News Release

COMSTOCK PARK - Christian Snavely's single in the seventh tied the score at 2-2 and helped kick off a three-run rally as the Lugnuts(38-32, 1-0) kicked off the second half with their third straight win, a 4-2 decision over the West Michigan Whitecaps(33-38, 0-1) on Thursday night at Fifth Third Ballpark.

The Lugnuts jumped out to the early lead in the second off West Michigan starter Dallas Trahern(3-7) with a run on a pair of base hits by Luke Hetherington and Snavely and an RBI fielders choice off the bat of Ryan Klosterman.

Lansing starter Chi-Hung Cheng kept that lead until the fifth inning when with two outs and the bases empty, Nick McIntyre doubled and scored on when Jeff Frazier reached on a throwing error by Jason Armstrong to knot the score. Cheng would get his second straight no decision, working five innings while fanning eight hitters.

The Whitecaps would briefly take the lead in the sixth, striking for a run off Jordy Templet(5-2). Luis Sabino led off with a double and scored on a two-bagger by Josh Lee. Templet settled in, though, working the rest of the inning without further damage. The righty went a pair of innings and struck out two hitters in the seventh to pick up his third straight win in relief.

Lansing would get the winning rally in the seventh off Trahern and a pair of other Whitecap hurlers. Hetherington led off with a double and scored on Snavely's single. Klosterman singled to left to chase Trahern. Ian Ostlund took over and got Yuber Rodriguez to hit into a fielders choice at third base, but McIntyre's attempt at a double play on Rodriguez at first ended with an error to send Klosterman to third. Eugenio Velez would then follow with a sacfly to center to score Klosterman and put Lansing ahead to stay. Curtis Thigpen's single off Lavon Lewis scored Rodriguez for the game's final run.

Joey McLaughlin worked a scoreless eighth and Jeremy Harper navigated a perfect ninth to earn his third straight save. In all, Templet, McLaughlin and Harper retired the final eight hitters in order to seal the win.

Lansing will play in West Michigan for the second game of the four-game set on Friday evening in Comstock Park. Game time is set for 7:00 p.m. as Danny Core takes to the hill for the Lugnuts against West Michigan's Jair Jurrjens.

Midwest League Stories from June 23, 2005

• Lugnuts wipe out deficit and rally to win in second half opener - Lansing Lugnuts
• Desperate Rattler rally falls short in second half opener - Wisconsin Timber Rattlers
• Swing hold on in slugfest, 16-15 - Quad Cities River Bandits
• Kernels homer early and often in 9-2 win over Chiefs - Cedar Rapids Kernels
• Five-Run First Sinks Bees - Burlington Bees
• Cougars muster three hits, lose 8-1 - Kane County Cougars
• Wizards tame Dragons 12-7 - Dayton Dragons
• Chiefs open second half with lopsided loss - Peoria Chiefs
• Four home runs allowed spells doom for Devil Rays - Southwest Michigan Devil Rays
• Lansing takes late lead, beats Whitecaps - West Michigan Whitecaps
• Cougars gearing up for seven-game homestand - Kane County Cougars
• Second half promotions begin - Fort Wayne TinCaps
• Bees Open Second Half With Roster Moves - Burlington Bees
• Swing revamp roster - Quad Cities River Bandits
• Back from Billings to Open Second Half - Dayton Dragons
• Garcia Comes Off DL - Beloit Sky Carp
• Lugnuts open second half by losing Yates, Acey and gaining Timm - Lansing Lugnuts

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