Pontooners-TinCaps Split Doubleheader, Copen K's Six in Home Debut
July 11, 2024 - Midwest League (MWL)
Great Lakes Loons News Release
MIDLAND, Mich. - The Great Lakes Pontooners (41-42) (7-10) and Fort Wayne TinCaps (35-49) (7-11) each grabbed a game, a Pontooners 4-1 win in game one and a 3-2 TinCaps victory on a 77-degree partly cloudy Thursday night at Dow Diamond. It is the first of three days; Great Lakes dons their Pontooners persona.
Pontooners 4, TinCaps 1 - Game One
- Patrick Copen made his first start at Dow Diamond, going five scoreless innings and striking out six. The right-hander earned a punchout in every inning. The 22-year-old was one of his career best in strikeouts.
- All four of Great Lakes runs came with two outs. In the second inning, Jake Gelof walked with six pitches. Jordan Thompson next-up rocked a ball 350 feet and 93 mph.
- In the fifth, Dylan Campbell singled with two outs. Kyle Nevin then on a 2-1 pitch, crushed one 375 feet and 105 mph off the bat.
- Kelvin Ramirez worked the final two innings, he struck out two in the sixth. After two singles and a wild pitch that netted a run, Ramirez retired the next two, both via strikes. The right-hander lowered his ERA to 3.19.
TinCaps 3, Pontooners 2 - Game Two
- Fort Wayne's Sam Whiting went 3.1 innings, the most in an outing with the TinCaps. Great Lakes tallied the first run in the fourth, on a one-out Luis Rodriguez RBI single. Great Lakes left two on base.
- The Loons had a bullpen day. With Jeisson Cabrera striking out three over two clean frames. Carson Hobbs worked a scoreless third, and Garrett McDaniels tossed two innings, stranding two on.
- Brandon Neeck got the sixth but would not finish the frame. Two walks followed by two singles, an RBI hit by Devin Ortiz, and a two-run knock by Anthony Vilar.
- Jordan Thompson started the bottom of the sixth with a roped double up the left field line. A wild pitch moved him to third where Frank Rodriguez's sacrifice fly moved Thompson home. Manuel Castro, entered for Fort Wayne, striking out the next two and two more in the seventh. Overall, Great Lakes went 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position.
Rounding Things Out
Great Lakes is now 7-6 in seven-inning games in 2024.
Up Next
The Pontooners and TinCaps play tomorrow, Friday, July 12th. The first pitch is at 7:05 pm. It is the second night of Pontooners Weekend presented by Sugar Springs Marine. There will be dueling pianos playing Yacht Rock and of course, a Feast Friday presented by Isabella Bank.
• Discuss this story on the Midwest League message board...
Midwest League Stories from July 11, 2024
- Former Cubs Star Dexter Fowler Added to Roster for Home Run Derby X - Fort Wayne TinCaps
- Pontooners-TinCaps Split Doubleheader, Copen K's Six in Home Debut - Great Lakes Loons
- Bandits Blanked by Chiefs - Quad Cities River Bandits
- Butler, Masterman Power 13-4 Rout - Lansing Lugnuts
- Kernels Take Down Carp in 10 Innings - Beloit Sky Carp
- Dragons Earn Third Straight Win Over South Bend As Pitching Continues To Dominate - Dayton Dragons
- Dearden Transferred to AA Wichita - Cedar Rapids Kernels
- Dragons on TV Friday & Saturday on Dayton's CW - Dayton Dragons
- Dayton Dragons GameDay Notes for Thursday (7:05 PM vs. South Bend) - Dayton Dragons
- Devin Williams and Joey Ortiz to Make Appearances for Timber Rattlers this Week - Wisconsin Timber Rattlers
- Rotondo Extends On-Base Streak in Style, Chiefs Win 4-2 - Peoria Chiefs
- Bullpen Shines in Quad Cities' Sixth-Straight Loss - Quad Cities River Bandits
- Comeback Finishes Short as Dragons Beat Cubs 5-4 - South Bend Cubs
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
