Lee allows one run in six innings of work
MIDLAND -- The visiting West Michigan Whitecaps outlasted the Great Lakes Loons in a pitchers’ duel Thursday night to defeat the home team by the score of 3-1 through 12 innings.
The game was dictated by the pitchers all night long and began with the Dodgers 2010 first round draft pick Zach Lee. The right-handed Lee pitched a solid six innings in which he surrendered only one run, though it was the game-tying run, on back-to-back doubles from West Michigan. Using 60 pitches and 42 for strikes, Lee nabbed one strikeout in the outing and issued no walks.
Opposite Lee was southpaw Antonio Cruz of West Michigan, who held the Loons to one run across eight frames before needing relief. The Whitecaps used three relief pitchers, Bruce Rondon, Logan Hoch and Patrick Cooper, to close out the final four innings, in which the Loons were held hitless. Cooper picked up his first win by fanning three Loons in two innings.
“It was a tough game and both teams fought hard,” Loons reliever Shawn Tolleson expressed after the game. “We just kind of got in on the wrong endn of the deal.”
Tolleson pitched in the tenth and eleventh innings for the Loons, where he saw six batters and struck out each of them. The former Baylor pitcher makes striking out Midwest League batters look easy and improved his season total to 28 k’s over 11.2 innings.
“It’s not easy. I just go out there and I try and work ahead,” he said. “I had a couple of hitters tonight where I fell behind 1-0 on, so I just try and locate my fastball and try and put them away with my secondary pitch.”
Also finding success on the mound for Great Lakes was Bret Montgomery, who limited West Michigan to one hit in three innings.
The Loons only run came in the third inning on a Steve Domecus stand-up triple to the warning track in centerfield, which drove in Blake Dean from first. But the runs that mattered came from the opposite side in the twelfth inning, as Loons reliever Raul Burgos issued two walks and allowed three consecutive hits to give the ‘Caps the two-run lead and eventual win.
On Friday, the Loons will try for the series win in the rubber match of their series against the Whitecaps. RHP Tim Sexton (2-1, 3.54) will start for the Loons while RHP Josue Carreno (0-2, 3.77) will step on the bump for West Michigan.
