MWL1 Great Lakes Loons

Wizards Hurlers Magical in 1-0 Win

Published on April 9, 2007 under Midwest League (MWL1)
Great Lakes Loons News Release


A quartet of Fort Wayne Wizards pitchers retired the first 25 batters they faced Monday night and survived a ninth-inning scare to defeat the Great Lakes Loons, 1-0. Left-handed starter Nathan Culp pitched 6 innings of perfect baseball, striking out four. Despite throwing less than 50 pitches, Culp gave way to a trio of relievers in his first outing of the season.

Grant Varnell pitched a perfect seventh, striking out one. Rolando Valdez pitched a perfect eighth, fanning two. Reliever R.J. Rodriguez retired Loons left fielder Bridger Hunt to lead off the ninth inning, thanks to a brilliant play by shortstop Jesus Lopez in the hole between third and short. Right fielder Scott Van Slyke followed and broke up the Wizards' perfect game with a swinging bunt to third.

The Loons put another runner on base in the ninth after a bunt single by second baseman Justin Fuller, but both runners were left stranded on base.

"We still had a chance at the end," said Loons' manager Lance Parrish after the team's first defeat. "We tried to pull the rabbit out of the hat."

Meanwhile the Wizards had base runners all game. They scored their lone run on a solo home run by right fielder Kyler Burke off Loons starter Cody White to lead off the fourth. Fort Wayne stranded the bases loaded in the fourth, sixth and eighth innings and totaled 15 runners left on base, but were able to muster just the lone run.

Culp improved to 1-0 with the win. Rodriguez allowed the Loons' two lone hits - both of the infield variety - but recorded the save.

"What can you say; it was a tremendous performance," said Wizards' manager Doug Dascenzo. "It doesn't get any better than that."

The Wizards win their season opener after snow-outs their first three scheduled games in Lansing. The Loons lose their first game of the season after wins Thursday and Friday in South Bend in a briskly-played two-hour, nineteen-minute game.

These two teams meet again tomorrow in Fort Wayne for Game 2 of the four game series. Game time is 6:00pm. The Loons On Deck Circle Powered by Dow Corning begins at 5:30pm on the WYLZ/Great Lakes Loons Radio Network. The radio broadcast can also be heard at Loons.com. The Loons' first home game at Dow Diamond is Friday versus Lansing. That game is sold out, but a limited number of lawn tickets are available for Saturday's game versus Lansing.

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Midwest League Stories from April 9, 2007


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