MWL Lansing Lugnuts

Schofield-Sam, Lugnuts Edge Loons, 4-3

August 17, 2023 - Midwest League (MWL)
Lansing Lugnuts News Release


LANSING, Mich. - T.J. Schofield-Sam drilled a tie-breaking RBI double in the bottom of the eighth, and the Lansing Lugnuts (19-25, 50-59) won a second straight one-run game against the Great Lakes Loons (20-24, 65-44), 4-3, on Wednesday night at Jackson® Field™.

The game was tense throughout, featuring the ejections of Lugnuts coaches Don Schulze and Luis Báez followed by a pair of Lansing comebacks. On the other side, the Loons went 2-for-16 with runners in scoring position, stranded 13 runners on base, grounded into double plays in three straight innings, and ended the game with runners at second and third.

A first-inning RBI single from Damon Keith and a second-inning solo homer from Chris Alleyne staked the Loons to an early 2-0 lead against Lugnuts starter Jose Dicochea.

But Colby Thomas doubled and scored on a Danny Bautista, Jr. RBI groundout in the second inning, and Junior Pérez singled and scored on a Jacob Wilson RBI double in the third to tie the game at 2-2.

The Loons took a 3-2 lead in the fifth on an Alleyne RBI single against Mac Lardner, but the Nuts answered right back in the sixth on a Clark Elliott triple and Bautista, Jr. RBI single.

In the bottom of the eighth, Elliott led off with an infield single against Lucas Wepf, barely beating shortstop Alex Freeland's throw to first. After Bautista, Jr. popped out a bunt, Wepf balked Elliott to second. Schofield-Sam promptly delivered a booming double off the center field wall, plating Elliott for the Lugnuts' first lead of the game.

Stevie Emanuels allowed back-to-back singles to Yeiner Fernandez and Damon Keith in the ninth, but bore down and struck out Griffin Lockwood-Powell, retired Kenneth Betancourt on a flyout to right and struck out Chris Alleyne with a backdoor curve to record his third save.

Starter Dicochea finished with six strikeouts in three innings in a no-decision, allowing two runs on four hits and four walks. Lardner followed with three strikeouts in 2 1/3 innings, fanning three and walking three, before Charles Hall tossed 2 2/3 scoreless innings, striking out one while allowing two hits and a walk.

Shortstop Wilson finished 3-for-5 with two doubles, giving him eight hits in his last 11 at-bats. Right fielder Thomas added two doubles of his own.

The Nuts go for a third straight win in the six-game series on a Coors Light Thirsty Thursday featuring $2 domestic drafts and $5 craft drafts. A flyover by the Air National Guard will follow the National Anthem. First pitch is at 7:05 p.m. with the gates opening at 6 p.m. Tickets are available at the stadium box office, via lansinglugnuts.com or by calling (517) 485-4500.

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Midwest League Stories from August 17, 2023


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