Lee pitches well, improves to 2-0 on the mound
MIDLAND -- The Great Lakes Loons jumped all over the South Bend Silver Hawks Monday to pick up their eighth win of the young season, winning by the score of 9-4 in a game highlighted by a second-inning grand slam by Loons left fielder Nick Akins.
After picking up two quick runs on four singles in the bottom of the first inning, the Loons run total continued to grow in the following frame. With one out, South Bend’s starting pitcher David Holmberg loaded the bases with two walks and a hit batsmen. Loons first baseman Blake Dean hit an infield single to score one run, setting up Akins for his big at-bat.
“I’m not trying to go up top [for a home run],” Akins said of his plate appearance after the game “But if I get good pitches, and am seeing the ball well, and take good swings, then the balls that I hit will jump out of the yard.”
Akins was able to do just that Monday, and sent Holmberg’s pitch well out of Dow Diamond’s left field to register the Loons first grand slam of the season, and the first since Rafael Ynoa hit one in extra-innings against Bowling Green on 8/14/10. Akins attributed his success at the plate to some extra work he had put in earlier in the day.
“It’s been a rough going from the start,” Akins said, who entered the game with a .158 average. “But today I got in here a little early to work with our hitting coach Lenny Harris, who is trying to get me to sit on my legs. I’ve been rushing and jumping at the ball, trying to do too much. [Tonight Holmberg] threw me a pitch over the plate and I was able to take a good swing at it. I’m just trying to get back in the groove, but it felt good.”
The 23-year-old left fielder led the team with five RBI on the night and was one of four Loons with multiple hits. The team finished with a total of 15 hits to South Bend’s 11.
The run support was well received by Loons starting pitcher Zach Lee, who put on a show of his own, accumulating nine strikeouts in five innings of work. Lee, in only his third professional start, picked up his second consecutive win and limited South Bend to one run on five hits. Lee pitched out of a two-out bases-loaded situation in the second inning by getting S-Hawk Roberto Rodriguez to strike out swinging.
Relief pitcher Bret Montgomery entered the game in the sixth and pitched for three innings, while Brant Stickel pitched the ninth. The two combined to allow three runs on six hits.
In other news, former outfielder / first baseman Jerry Sands, will make his first major league start tonight for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Sands hit for a .333 average as a Loon, collecting 18 homers and 46 RBI in 69 games with the team. He will become the sixth Loon to reach the major leagues, and the third Loon to suit up for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He will bat seventh and start in left field for the Dodgers tonight.
The Loons will play game two of their three-game series against South Bend Tuesday, which will be the debut of the Loons ‘Dodgers Route of Champions Nights’, where Loons players will wear Dodgers uniforms. Later in the season, these Tuesday night games will feature appearances from Dodger greats. Getting the start for Great Lakes will be RHP Tim Sexton (1-0, 1.50 ERA), while RHP Tyler Green steps to the hill for the Hawks (0-0, 3.00 ERA). First pitch scheduled for 6:05 p.m.
