LANSING, Mich. – Tucker Novotny fanned six batters over five scoreless innings, but Yimy Tovar and Rosman Verdugo homered in the 11th inning to lift the Fort Wayne TinCaps (29-35, 56-74) to a 10-3 win over the Lansing Lugnuts (27-38, 56-73) in a Sunday matinee at JacksonⓇ Field™, closing out the 2026 season.
In his seventh start of the season, Novotny tore through Fort Wayne’s lineup; the Minnesota native retired 15 of 18 batters, allowing just two hits and a walk with six strikeouts through five innings, but Fort Wayne found a burst of offense late in the game against the Lansing bullpen.
Tied at three runs apiece in the 11th inning, Tovar crushed a 379-foot three-run homer to left field off Gerlin Rosario before Verdugo put the exclamation point on the win with a one-out 414-foot grand slam to left center.
The Lugnuts had originally taken a 2-0 lead in the fifth inning. Myles Naylor led off with a walk, and C.J. Pittaro followed with a single to shallow center field. A Bryan Arendt groundout advanced both runners, and Tanner Marsh singled to drive in Naylor for a 1-0 Lugnuts lead, collecting his first professional RBI. An Alex Fernandes sacrifice fly brought in Pittaro for a 2-0 lead.
Fort Wayne answered in the seventh. After a Yoiber Ocopio leadoff single off reliever Mitch Myers, Tovar doubled to deep center, but rounded second too far – only to see catcher Bryan Arendt make an errant throw, bringing in Ocopio. A Dylan Grego groundout plated Tovar, tying the game at 2-2.
The Lugnuts retook the lead in the bottom of the eighth, with Daniel Buccieroscoring on a wild pitch from Fort Wayne reliever Jeferson Villabona.
But the TinCaps tied it back up on a Dylan Grego RBI triple in the ninth off of Darlin Pinales, forcing extra innings.
Myers finished two innings of relief, allowing three hits and two runs (one earned) with two strikeouts. Abel Mercedes and Pinales each pitched an inning, with Pinales allowing the ninth-inning RBI triple, and Rosario allowed five hits, seven runs (six earned) and two walks in the 10th and 11th innings.
On offense, Davis, Bucciero, Rodney Green Jr., Pittaro and Marsh made up the five hits for Lansing. Fernandes and Marsh drove in the two RBIs, and Bucciero, Naylor and Pittaro scored the runs.
Jake Reinisch finished 0-for-5 with two strikeouts and didn’t reach base, ending his 44-game on-base streak.
In 208 days, Lansing will open its 2027 season against the Fort Wayne TinCaps at Parkview Field in Indiana. The Lugnuts will return to Michigan’s state capital for their home opener four days later in a series against West Michigan from April 6-11.
For news and information during the offseason, visit www.milb.com/lansing.
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