COMSTOCK PARK, Mich. – The West Michigan Whitecaps (27-19, 51-59) swatted four home runs, two by Beau Ankeney, and topped the Lansing Lugnuts (19-26, 48-61), 5-3, on Friday night at LMCU Ballpark.
Jake Reinisch went 3-for-4 and Daniel Bucciero went 2-for-4 with a pair of runs for the Lugnuts, who lost their third straight in the series.
The first two batters Samuel Dutton faced, Jackson Strong and Bryce Rainer, set the tone with back-to-back home runs in the first inning. Two innings later, Ankeney slugged a two-run homer off Dutton.
The Lansing right-hander persevered through the swings, allowing those four runs in six innings while striking out five. It was his seventh start of the year of at least six innings, increasing his High-A leading innings total to 108 1/3 innings.
Ankeney wrapped up the scoring with a solo home run off Riley Huge leading off the eighth inning.
For their part, West Michigan used five pitchers to wrap up the game in two hours and 22 minutes: Jojo Ingrassia (3 IP, 1 R); Preston Howey (2 IP, 1 R); Juanmi Vasquez (2 IP); Luke Hoskins (1 IP, 1 R) and Luke Stofel (1 IP).
The Nuts scored their runs on a Dylan Fien sac fly in the second inning, a Gunner Gouldsmith RBI single in the fourth, and a Reinisch RBI double in the eighth.
Lansing knuckleballer Devin Kirby-Williams starts the fifth game of the six-game set at 7:05 p.m. Saturday, opposed by recent Tigers acquisition Brady Smith.
The Lugnuts next return home from August 18-23, hosting the Peoria Chiefs. For tickets and more information, call (517) 485-4500 or visit www.milb.com/lansing.
# # #