Reggie Pruitt, Chavez Young and Kevin Vicuna teamed up to produce nine hits in the Lansing Lugnuts Opening Day win in Great Lakes.
A number of players from the 2017 Northwest League champion Vancouver Canadians had an Opening Day to remember with their 2018 clubs.
The speedy trio of center fielder Reggie Pruitt, right fielder Chavez Young and shortstop Kevin Vicuna had three hits apiece to spark the Lansing Lugnuts to a 12-1 thrashing of the Great Lakes Loons at Dow Diamond Thursday afternoon. Pruitt had three runs batted in and Young contributed an RBI double as the eight and nine hitters in the Lugnuts lineup. Vicuna scored three times while knocking home a pair as the number two hitter in the order, a spot the Venezuelan was familiar with in Vancouver after spending 139 of his 189 at-bats there.
Second baseman Samad Taylor had a single and a walk out of the leadoff spot while first baseman Kacy Clemens doubled, walked twice and drove in three runs as the number-three hitter.
Righthanders Donnie Sellers and Kyle Weatherly covered off the final two innings out of the Lugnuts bullpen. Sellers surrendered the only run in the eighth on a hit and a walk but he did strike out a pair. Weatherly needed just 13 pitchers to retire the side in a perfect ninth.
2016 C’s first baseman Christian Williams had a walk and scored a run while righthander Andy Ravel stranded a runner by retiring the only hitter he faced on a groundout.
📺 | Reggie Pruitt talks about the team’s key to success after a 12-1 victory over the Loons on Opening Day 🔥 #LugLife pic.twitter.com/bB9tuDqlU9
— Lansing Lugnuts (@LansingLugnuts) April 6, 2018
Riley Adams knocked home a pair of runs and Logan Warmoth singled and sole a base in their Florida State League debuts.
Four other members of the 2017 C’s were instrumental in helping the Dunedin Blue Jays defeat the Clearwater Threshers 5-4 at Spectrum Field. Catcher Riley Adams drove in a run with a double as part of a two-RBI night while shortstop Logan Warmoth singled in his first Florida State League at-bat and later stole a base.
Righthander Justin Dillon and lefthander Travis Bergen supported 2016 C’s righty T.J. Zeuch‘s solid six-inning effort by earning holds. Dillon walked just one batter in 1-1/3 scoreless innings while Bergen struck out the only two hitters he faced to end the eighth.
C-Notes
2016 outfielder Josh Palacios had a big game out of the leadoff spot for Dunedin on Opening Day by going 2-for-3 with two walks, a stolen base and a run scored while 2016 first baseman Nash Knight socked Dunedin’s first home run of the season. Palacios added two more hits during Dunedin’s 8-0 loss to Clearwater Friday.
The New Hampshire Fisher Cats are off to a 2-0 start thanks to the contributions of 2016 second baseman Cavan Biggio. The son of Craig had a double and a bunt RBI single in the Fisher Cats 6-0 victory over the Hartford Yard Goats at Dunkin’ Donuts Park Thursday. He then followed with a pair of doubles Friday with his extra-base hit in the 11th inning plating the eventual winning run in New Hampshire’s 4-3 win.
2015 first baseman Connor Panas was 2-for-4 on Opening Day and had another base hit on Friday.
On the pitching side, 2015 righthander Francisco Rios supplied four shutout innings of four-hit ball with five strikeouts on Opening Day while 2014 righty Justin Shafer got the win with 1-1/3 shutout frames of two-hit ball that was offset by three strikeouts. 2014 lefty Jose Fernandez also supplied 1-1/3 scoreless innings that featured a walk and a strikeout.
Friday saw 2015 lefty Danny Young spin a couple of goose eggs on the linescore while 2014-2015 righty Andrew Case chipped in with one of his own. 2016 righty Zach Jackson walked a pair but struck out five over two shutout innings for his first Double-A victory. Conor Fisk (2015) struck out one in a one-hit ninth to pick up the save.
C-Tweets
F | Lugnuts 12, Loons 1
Yennsy Diaz was 🔥 and the offense piled up 13💥
UNDEFEATED IN 2018 pic.twitter.com/bJLGnSGfvY
— Lansing Lugnuts (@LansingLugnuts) April 6, 2018
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