Loons couldn't come back from an early deficit
MIDLAND -- The Great Lakes Loons were the victim of seven errors Saturday night, resutling in three unearned runs allowed to the visiting Fort Wayne TinCaps, which proved the difference in the 5-3 loss at Dow Diamond before a sell-out crowd of 5,818 fans.
The Loons strung together a pair of runs in the bottom of the ninth and had the tying run on base with two outs. Unfortunately for the home team, Jesse Bosnik, who led the team in hits for the game with two, flew out to left field for the game’s final out. Despite the Loons attempt of a rally, it was the defensive blunders that cost them. Scoring for the Loons earlier in the inning was Leon Landry on Blake Dean’s single to right field and Chris Jacobs on a sac-fly from Jon Garcia.
Fort Wayne jumped out against the Loons early, as leadoff batter Rico Noel was beaned on Loons starter Zach Lee’s very first pitch. After stealing second and third base, Noel was driven home on a sacrifice fly from the TinCaps number two hitter.
The Loons trailed by one for another three innings, before the TinCaps found two more runs in the top of the fifth. With two outs and runners on the corners, Rymer Liriano hit a ground ball to second base that David Iden misfielded to allow one run to score. The TinCaps next batter Oscar Garcia hit a single to centerfield to score another run, and a misguided throw on the play by Leon Landry marked the Loons third error. Lee walked the next batter to load the bases and end his night.
Lee was tagged with the loss, his third, after allowing three runs, one earned, on two hits over 4.2 innings of work. The right-handed prospect fanned five TinCaps and walked four. Reliever Pete Budkevics entered in the fifth with the bases loaded and got Wes Cunningham to ground into the final out. Budkevics threw 2.1 more innings on the night, allowing one run on one hit.
With two outs in the top of the ninth, Casio Grider committed two errors in one play, misfielding a ground ball and then forcing a throw to first base in an attempt at the put-out. The ball sailed out of bounds and the runner took second before scoring on a Liriano single that followed.
The Loons, who out hit the ‘Caps, scored their first run in the sixth inning, when infielder Iden scored on a Bobby Coyle single.
The Loons will play game two of their three-game series with the TinCaps on Sunday at 2:05 p.m. Starting for the Loons will be RHP Garrett Gould (9-3, 1.86) against Fort Wayne’s LHP Todd Privett (0-0, 0.00). It’s Super Splash Day at Dow Diamond Sunday, presented by the Midland Community Center, with water-themed amusements and promotions scheduled to take place during the game. Post-game kids will have the opportunity to run the bases, courtesy of Farm Bureau Insurance.
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