FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The Fort Wayne TinCaps (34-46) (7-7) and Great Lakes Loons (45-32) (9-4), celebrated the Fourth of July by playing 14 innings, with the TinCaps winning 13-12 in walk-off fashion on an 86-degree partly cloudy Fourth of July Saturday night in front of 8,176 fans at Parkview Field. The game lasted four hours and 48 minutes.
- Jose Meza led the way with five hits, the most in a game by a Loon since O’Neil Cruz on July 20th, 2017, on the road in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Meza gave Great Lakes an 11-9 lead with a two-run homer in the top of the 13th inning. Meza became the first Loon to knock ten home runs this season.
- Fort Wayne hit four home runs, two tied the game. Kavares Tears knotted the game at five with a two-run opposite field shot in the eighth inning. Pinch-hitter Kerrington Cross brought Summit City to their feet with a 388-foot drive to left field in the bottom of the 13th.
- Emil Morales extended his RBI streak to six games. Morales plated a run on a bases loaded walk in the 12th and a groundout to first in the 14th.
- The Loons and TinCaps matched each other in the tenth through thirteenth inning. In the bottom of the 11th, the game was tied 8-8 after two Fort Wayne runs. Ryan Wideman singled into right field, Rosman Verdugo sprinted towards the plate, but a Jose Meza throw to catcher Chase Adkison beat Verdugo there and pushed the game to the twelfth.
- Loons starting catcher Victor Rodrigues had a three-hit and three-RBI day. He caught the first nine innings.
- Alex Makarewich would fend off the TinCaps twice. After a walk with the bases loaded tied things in the 12th, he forced a fielder’s choice and struck out Kasen Wells to end the frame. In the 13th, following the equalizer from Cross, the right-hander forced his first double play groundout of the season and fielded a grounder to give the Loons a chance in the 14th.
- The walk-off came in the 14th inning. Seamus Barrett hit two batters and allowed two singles. Kasen Wells played hero with an RBI single to right field with the bases loaded. Wells first entered the game as a pinch-runner in the 11th inning.
Rounding Things Out
The Loons have hit at least one home run in 10 consecutive contests. Tonight’s game was the longest by inning and duration for Great Lakes in 2026.
Up Next
The Loons are 8-3 on this road trip, tomorrow Sunday, July 5th is the final game of the escapade. The first pitch is at 1:05 p.m. ET.
The Great Lakes Loons have been a partner of the Los Angeles Dodgers since the team’s inception in 2007. Dow Diamond serves as the team’s home and also houses the Michigan Baseball Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit public charity, and Sports Radio 100.9 The Mitt. For tickets or information about the Loons, call 989-837-BALL or visit Loons.com.