News release from the TinCaps:
TinCaps Lose Close One
(June 12, 2014) – For the second night in a row, the TinCaps entered the eighth inning tied with the Lansing Lugnuts. And for the second night in a row, it was Lansing which came out on top. Fort Wayne lost to the Lugnuts, 4-3, on Wednesday night at Parkview Field.
On Tuesday, it was Lansing’s number nine batter who produced the game-winning hit in the top of the eighth. On Wednesday, it was the Lugnuts’ eight-hole hitter who did the damage. With two outs in the road eighth, Jason Leblebijian ripped a double into the left-field corner off Coby Cowgill that scored Dickie Joe Thon from second base to break a 3-3 tie. Thon had reached first on a one-out single to shortstop and advanced to second on a wild pitch.
The TinCaps had tied the game, 3-3, in the bottom of the fifth with a two-run frame. Ronnie Richardson cranked a solo home run over the wall in left field — his first longball as a TinCap. Later in the inning, Dustin Peterson tripled and scored on an RBI-single from Fernando Perez. That chased Lugnuts starter Chase De Jong after 4 2/3 innings.
Fort Wayne (28-37) fell behind when Lansing put up two runs in the second and another run in the third. Those runs came against TinCaps starter Adrian De Horta, who left the game after 2 2/3 innings. The 19-year-old from California allowed four hits, five walks, and struck out a pair.
Lansing (31-34) had the bases loaded when De Horta left in the third inning, but fortunately for Fort Wayne, reliever Tony Rizzotti put out the proverbial fire by retiring the first batter he faced. The Lugnuts were 3-for-14 with runners in scoring position on Wednesday and stranded eight runners. By contrast, the TinCaps had only three at-bats with runners in scoring position and went 1-for-3 with six runners left on base.
Following 2 1/3 innings of shutout relief from Rizzotti, Cowgill, who was activated from Fort Wayne’s disabled list earlier in the day, came on for three innings.
Peterson highlighted a 10-hit attack for the TinCaps at the plate with three hits, including a single in the first inning. He later scored thanks to a wild pitch, a passed ball, and another wild pitch. But Fort Wayne’s 1-0 lead did not last beyond the top of the second.
Phil Kish claimed the win out of the visitors’ bullpen with 2 1/3 scoreless frames, while Griffin Murphy picked up his second save in as many nights.
The TinCaps and Lugnuts finish their three-game series at Parkview Field on Thursday night at 7:05 p.m. Ronald Herrera is slated to go for Fort Wayne against Lansing’s Matt Dermody. The game can be seen on XFINITY Channel 81 and heard on ESPN Radio 1380.
Related Images:
