EASTLAKE, OHIO It was a wild one in Eastlake tonight, with the Lake County Captains and Lansing Lugnuts trading home runs and lead changes all night. The Captains had the final word, rallying for 2 runs in the ninth for a walkoff 7-6 victory.
The home squad got on the board early thanks to newly-named Midwest League All Star Francisco Mejia. The catcher launched a pitch from Lansing’s Tyler Saucedo over the left field fence in the bottom of the first to give Lake County a 2-0 lead. It was Mejia’s second home run of the year and gave him 35 RBIs on the season.
The Captains got to Saucedo again in the third for another two-run blast, this time off the bat of Connor Marabell. His third home run of the season scored Francisco Mejia and put Lake County up 4-0 after three innings.
Lansing struck for two runs in the top of the fourth inning. Ryan Hissey doubled, advanced to third on a fly out to right, and scored on a wild pitch from starter Tom Pannone. Centerfielder Lane Thomas then walked and scored on a Jake Thomas RBI triple to cut the Captains’ lead in half at 4-2.
The Midwest League All Star Pannone walked a tight rope over his 5 2/3 innings, leaving the game with the score tied at 4 after giving up a 2-run homerun to Lane Thomas in the sixth. Pannone gave up four runs on six hits with one walk and five strikeouts in a no decision.
The game wasn’t tied for long, as Marabell struck yet again for Lake County, leading off the sixth inning with his second home run of the game that gave the Captains a 5-4 lead.
Lansing struck right back in the seventh, however, with a sac fly from Gunnar Heidt that tied the game at 5. All Star Tyler Krieger extended his team-best hitting streak to 17 games with an infield single in the bottom of the 7th, but the Captains failed to score in the inning.
The last of five combined home runs belonged to the Lugnuts, as pinch hitter Juan Kelly launched a round-tripper to right to give Lansing a 6-5 lead.
The Captains used a walk and an error to put runners at 1st and 2nd with nobody out in the bottom of the ninth. After Silento Sayles struck out, Nathan Lukes doubled home Sam Haggerty to tie the game at 6. All Star Willi Castro then sealed the victory with a sacrifice fly to deep center that plated pinch runner Jose Medina to give Lake County a 7-6 walkoff win.
A 9th-inning rally is never easy, but the Captains rally came against Lugnuts’ All Star closer Dusty Isaacs. He blew the chance in what would have been his league-leading 12th save and took the loss for Lansing. Kieran Lovegrove pitched a scoreless 9th for Lake County and earned the win.
Lake County improves to 34-24 while Lansing falls to 29-27. The same two teams will square off in a matinee tomorrow at 1:00 PM. Lefty Sam Hentges will take the mound for Lake County while Tom Robson starts for Lansing.
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