Lansing - During the first three games in their series with Dayton, to say the Lugnuts’ bats were asleep would be an understatement. Scoring just three runs in those games equaled three losses for Lansing.
But when the two teams met Sunday afternoon at Oldsmobile Park, 505 E. Michigan Ave., the Lugnuts’ bats finally climbed out of bed to leave their mark on the Dragons’ pitching staff.
A seven-run fifth inning signaled the return of the Lugnuts’ offensive pulse and returned Lansing to the win column with a 9-5 victory.
“We’ve run into some pitching as of late, and runs have been hard to come by,” Lugnuts manager Julio Garcia said. “Today, the guys did a good job of swinging the bats and driving in runs in crucial situations.”
A pair of two-run doubles, a fielder’s choice and third baseman Cory Slavik’s two-run home run to deep right field accounted for the runs.
The batter’s box wasn’t the only place where the Lugnuts were getting it done. Lansing got a great effort from the mound, too.
Carmen Pignatiello (2-0) gave the Lugnuts six strong innings, allowing an earned run on four hits while striking out nine.
Pignatiello struck out the side in the first inning en route to the most strikeouts by a Lugnut pitcher in a game this season.
“If I have a first inning that’s good and where I’m successful with all of my pitches, then that’s going to lead to a good outing for me,” Pignatiello said.
The left-hander said the win was exactly what the Lugnuts needed to put the three-game losing streak behind them.
“I think we needed to come out and get a good outing, and we did,” he said. “And then hitting-wise, we really came alive and got the big hits when we need them.”
The Lugnuts were especially tough at the plate with two outs, scoring five runs in their two-out chances.
“We did a great job in the fifth inning driving in runs with two outs,” Slavik said. “That’s not too common, scoring with two outs, and that turned into a big inning for us.”
With the win, the Lugnuts avoided being swept for the first time this season. Lansing lost in Thursday’s series opener 6-0, then lost 4-2 on Friday and lost again 2-1 on Saturday.
The Lugnuts struck first in the bottom of the second on left fielder Buck Coats’ two-out double to left-center, bringing Slavik all the way home from first base.
But the 1-0 lead was short-lived as Dayton scored their first run in the top of the third inning.
Up next for the Lugnuts are seven-straight games with the Fort Wayne Wizards. On Tuesday, Lansing begins a four-game set in Fort Wayne before returning home Saturday to host Fort Wayne for three games.
The ace on the Lugnuts’ staff, right-hander Angel Guzman (1-1, 1.93 ERA), takes the mound Tuesday at Fort Wayne. The Wizards’ starting pitcher has yet to be determined.
