EASTLAKE, OH – Jacob Zibin tossed an immaculate fourth inning amid a strong start, and the Lake County Captains (9-6, 46-33) withstood a big Lansing Lugnuts (4-12, 33-47) sixth-inning rally for a series-opening 8-5 win on Tuesday night at Classic Auto Group Park.
The 21-year-old Zibin, who had set a 10th-round record when he signed for $1.2 million in 2022, then didn’t pitch from 2022-2024 due to injury, blanked the Lugnuts over the first five innings on just two hits. The native Canadian struck out seven, including nine straight strikes to Jake Reinisch, Pedro Pineda and C.J. Pittaro in the fourth inning.
Trailing 6-0 entering the sixth, the Lugnuts knocked out Zibin on a Jared Sprague-Lott single and Myles Naylor walk. Cam Walty came on in relief and walked Ali Camarillo to load the bases, retired Reinisch via the infield fly rule, gave up an RBI infield single to Pineda, then struck out Pittaro for the second out.
Gunner Gouldsmith lined a two-run single to left, scoring Naylor and Camarillo to draw the Lugnuts within 6-3. Logan Sauve was hit by a pitch to reload the bases and second baseman Tommy Hawke booted a Rodney Green, Jr. grounder to bring in Pineda, making it 6-4. Sprague-Lott followed with his second single of the inning, plating to Gouldsmith to make it 6-5.
But Izaak Martinez relieved Walty and struck out Naylor to keep the Captains in the lead for good.
Lake County added a pair of insurance runs to wrap up the night.
Daniel Bucciero, who had been promoted from Class-A Stockton earlier in the day to replace Nate Nankil, made his Lugnuts debut as a defensive replacement at third base before lining out to deep right-center in his only at-bat, an out that ended the ballgame.
In the loss, Sprague-Lott went 3-for-5 with a double, while Lansing starter Samuel Dutton gave up six runs on five hits and four walks in 3 2/3 innings.
Right-hander Zane Taylor starts the second game of the six-game series, taking on Lake County right-hander Will McCausland at 7 p.m. Wednesday.
The Nuts next return to JacksonⓇ Field™ from July 17-19 for a three-game series against the Fort Wayne Tin Caps. For tickets and more information, call (517) 485-4500 or visit www.milb.com/lansing.
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