Loons end Lugnuts' streak with doubleheader sweep

LANSING, Mich. – The Lansing Lugnuts' (25-16) eight-game winning streak came to a punchless end on Saturday night, halted in a deja vu-filled pair of 2-0 losses to the Great Lakes Loons (27-15) before a crowd of 8,314 at Cooley Law School Stadium.
With the evening's outcomes, the Loons leapfrogged the Lugnuts into second place in the Midwest League's Eastern Division.
In Game 1, Great Lakes starter Will Savage (3-1) earned the victory with a four-hit shutout, striking out six Lugnuts batters in the process.
The Loons supported their veteran right-hander with a Blake Smith RBI double in the first inning and a Christian Lara sacrifice fly in the second inning against Lansing starter Ryan Shopshire.
Shopshire (2-3) twirled a complete game in the losing cause, allowing seven hits and two walks while striking out three.
The dual complete games marked each team's first such performances of the season.

In Game 2, Great Lakes scored a pair of first inning runs, including another RBI double from Smith and rode fine efforts from Elisaul Pimentel and Rubby De La Rosa to the victory.
Pimentel (3-3) picked up the win, striking out seven while scattering two hits and five walks in five innings. De La Rosa notched his second save of the year with two scoreless innings, whiffing four.
Lansing spot-starter Nestor Molina (3-2) suffered the loss, allowing four hits and two runs in 4 2/3 innings. Aaron Loup (1.0 inning) and Casey Beck (1.1 innings) each allowed two hits in scoreless relief efforts.
Ryan Schimpf hit safely in each game for the Lugnuts, but the Midwest League's top hitting team was held to only eight base hits in 47 at-bats.
The Lugnuts and Loons play the third game in their four-game series on Sunday at 2:05 p.m., pitting Lansing right-hander Dave Sever (1-1, 3.43) against Great Lakes right-hander Josh Wall (0-2, 4.50).