Lansing — Kids were invited to run the bases Sunday afternoon at Oldsmobile Park, but they were not the only ones rounding the bases.
The Fort Wayne Wizards put together a five-run, eighth inning against the Lansing Lugnuts. The batting assault included a double, a triple and two home runs. The Lugnuts could not answer in their final two at-bats, as the Wizards took a 6-1 victory and earned a split in the series.
Lansing got on the board first when right fielder Travis Snider hit an RBI ground out that scored teammate Scott Campbell and put the Lugnuts up 1-0. The Wizards wasted no time as they answered in the fourth when Javis Diaz blasted a solo homer to right field and tied the game at one.
Lugnuts pitcher Zach Dials bounced back after the homer and did his best to keep the Wizards off the scoreboard from there on out. He came out of the game after the seventh inning, allowing one run on four hits. Dials looked strong throughout the game as he recorded four strikeouts.
"That was Zach's third good start in a row, and I wish we were able to get him some more runs," said Lugnuts manager Gary Cathcart. "He was very impressive, and it's just unfortunate the bullpen couldn't hold up their end."
After Dials came out, the Lugnuts handed the ball to reliever Po-Hsuan Keng, and that's when things began to get ugly. After retiring the first batter, Keng gave up a triple to Javis Diaz, who later scored on a wild pitch and made it 2-1. Then, after a single by second baseman Tom King, Fort Wayne's Daryl Jones stepped up to the plate and drilled a two-run home run that put his team up 4-1.
Rayner Contreras immediately followed with a two-out double and Michael Campbell drove him in with a two-run shot of his own. Campbell's home run put the Wizards up 6-1, and they never looked back.
Stephen Faris recorded his second win of the season for Fort Wayne, as he came in and pitched a scoreless seventh. Keng was handed the loss for Lansing. He gave up five runs on six hits, four of which went for extra bases.
After playing Fort Wayne for the ninth consecutive game, the Lugnuts (37-36) now hit the road and begin an eight-game road trip away from Oldsmobile Park. They open play today in the first game of a four-game series with the West Michigan Whitecaps. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m.
Cathcart is well aware of the task ahead, as his team is in a tight race for a playoff spot.
"We definitely have our work cut out for us," Cathcart said. "These guys love to play. They work real hard and we will get back at it on the road tomorrow."
