South Bend SilverHawks at Lansing Lugnuts
April 17th, 2004
| South Bend |
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0 |
0 |
0 |
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1 |
1 |
0 |
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0 |
0 |
1 |
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0 |
1 |
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4 |
11 |
3 |
| Lansing |
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0 |
0 |
3 |
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0 |
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0 |
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0 |
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3 |
7 |
3 |
E-Firlit 3, Dopirak 2, Francisco, LOB SB-9, LAN-8, 2B-Gonzalez, Dopirak, SACF-Reynolds, SB-Firlit, Walker, Boyer
WP-VanBuren, HBP-Firlit (Petrick), Frazier (Petrick), Walker (Muegge), BB-Walker, SO-Chirinos
U-Cory Blaser, Greg Tucker
T-2:57, A-2,649
South Bend Tribune
Lino Garcia came to the rescue of the South Bend Silver Hawks Saturday afternoon.
Garcia's one out single in the top of the 11th inning allowed Emilio Bonifacio to cross the plate with the game winner in South Bend's 4-3 victory over Lansing.
The win moves the Hawks (7-3) back into sole possession of first place in the Eastern Division of the Midwest League.
Lansing broke out on top by tallying three runs in the third inning against Hawks' starter Danny Muegge.
A throwing error allowed South Bend to get on the board in the fourth inning as Edgar Varela crossed the plate.
The Hawks cut the deficit to 3-2 in the fifth after Tila Reynolds' sacrifice fly plated Dan Firlit.
South Bend drew even in the top of the ninth when pinch runner Bonifacio came around to score an unearned run from first base on Carlos Gonzalez's two out double to right field.
Three straight singles by Bonifacio, Gonzalez and Garcia in the 11th gave the Hawks their first lead of the contest.
Hawks closer Alex Cremidan notched his fifth save by retiring Lansing in order in the bottom of the frame.
Ruben Vicente (1-0) picked up the win, walking one and fanning one in his two inning stint. Varela paced the Hawks with three hits.
Lansing State Journal
by Mark Feather
Extra innings are proving extra tough for the Lansing Lugnuts this season.
With two outs and bases empty in the top of the ninth Saturday when should have been a routine ground ball ended up wreaking real havoc. The SOuth Bend Silver Hawks capitalized on a fielding error and beat the Lugns 4-3 in 11 innings.
The loss means Lansing has lost twice in extra innings in the past three games.
"Maybe there would have been a point in time where I'd have said, yeah, it's over," Lugnuts manager Julio Garcia said. "But the more I stick around, the more I know the game is not over until the final out."
Good thinking, Unfortunately.
Lansing (6-3) was lead South Bend (7-2) by one when South Bend's Augie Murillo hit a soft grounder to Lansing third baseman Alfredo Francisco.
Francisco whipped the ball into the stand along the first base line at Oldsmobile Park, picking up his first error of the season and allowing Murillo to reach second base.
Murillo scored on a single by Arizona Diamondbacks outfield prospect Carlos Gonzalez to tie the game.
"Those errors are going to happen," Garcia said. "You just hope the guys can rebound from something like that and I think they will. It was just a sloppy fielded game."
Turns out, the Lugnuts couldn't recover. At least no Saturday.
Lansing outfielder Chris Walker, who singled in the winning run during Friday's home opener, had visions of a repeat performance in the bottom of the ninth as he got ahead of the count on South Bend reliever Ruben Vicente (1-0).
"If I had just gotten a good pitch," he said, "I was going to drive it into the gap and maybe get in scoring position."
Walker ended up getting into scoring position with a walk and his fourth stolen base of the year. But Lanisng second baseman Robinson Chirinos failed to capitalize and struck out end the threat.
South Bend left the bases loaded in the 10th inning by scored the eventual game winner off Lansing reliever Jermaine VanBuren (0-1) in the 11th on three straight hits.