Loons shut out Captains 3-0

New Loons relievers combine for team’s fifth shutout

MIDLAND, MI – The Great Lakes Loons (27-34, 61-70) shut out the Lake County Captains (34-27, 66-66) Saturday night at Dow Diamond, picking up their third win in a row with the 3-0 victory in front of the sell-out crowd of 5,775 fans.

Loons relievers James Campbell, Scott Griggs, and Craig Stem combined for the Loons fifth shutout of the season, each pitching three innings and allowing two hits. Though unscheduled, Campbell made the first start of his professional baseball career after Greg Wilborn reported that he was unable to go earlier in the day. Griggs picked up the win, his first, while Stem notched his first save.

“It’s awesome,“ Stem said of the shut out. “That’s something as a pitching staff that you really strive for every game. It doesn’t happen often, but when it does it’s something special.”

All three Loons pitchers involved in the game are new additions to the team, with Griggs being the first to Great Lakes, promoted on August 1. Stem joined the team on August 15 and gave the Captains their best scoring chance in the eighth inning.

“I gave up a lead-off hit and then I lost control of all my pitches there for a minute,” Stem said. “But I just stepped off the mound, took a deep breath, refocused and was able to get three outs.”

The three outs came with two runners in scoring position as the result of a walk and Stem’s wild pitch. He returned in the ninth to retire the side. Lake County’s Shawn Morimando was charged the loss, his sixth.

Lake County’s only error of the game helped the Loons to their first run in the first inning. After Jesus Arredondo doubled to the right-field corner, Joe Winker’s single gave left fielder Michael Crouse trouble and allowed Arredondo to come in to score. Darnell Sweeney hit a two-out double to center field to score Michael Pericht in the second, before O’Koyea Dickson popped a home run in the third. The solo strike was his 16th of the season. Both teams were held to six hits.

The Great Lakes Loons will play game two with the Lake County Captains, the Midwest League affiliate of the Cleveland Indians, Sunday at Dow Diamond. The Loons send RHP Duke von Schamann (3-4, 3.34) to the hill against LHP Danny Jimenez (2-3, 5.24). Kids attending the 2:05 p.m. game will have the opportunity to run the bases afterwards courtesy of Farm Bureau Insurance.