LANSING – Two Great Lakes Loons pitchers combined to strikeout 18 Lansing Lugnuts Saturday night in a 6-3 win before a season-high 11,384 fans at Oldsmobile Park. Lansing has now dropped three straight games.

Lansing started the game hot offensively as Justin Jackson hit a lead-off homer in the first, putting the Lugnuts up 1-0. It was the second time this week that Jackson led a game off with a homer.

The Lugnuts added another run in the inning when Raul Barron doubled and scored on Matt Liuzza's single.

The Loons tied it up in the next inning. With runners at second and third, Francisco Lizarraga laced a single into center field that plated Brandon Taylor, cutting the lead to 2-1. Brian Mathews then bounced into a double play that score Alex Garabedian to knot the score at 2-2.

Great Lakes's pitching staff would take over from there, limiting Lansing to just one more run during the entire contest.

Victor Garate (5-3) tossed six innings for the Loons and allowed just two runs on six hits en route to the win. He also struck out a career-high 12 batters in his outing, which also tied the Loons franchise high.

Garrett White picked up the save after throwing the final three innings. He gave up one run, which was unearned, while striking out six.

The Loons would take the lead in the sixth frame when Brandon Taylor drilled a solo homer over the left-center field wall that made it a 3-2 game. It was his first dinger of the year.

Great Lakes and Lansing would trade runs in the seventh, before the Loons scratched across one in the eighth and ninth innings to put the game away.

Marc Rzepczynski (3-3) took the loss for the Lugnuts after throwing 6 2/3 innings. He gave up four runs on seven hits, marking just the third time this season that he has allowed multiple runs in a start.

Lansing (49-38, 10-7) and Great Lakes (37-49, 7-10) will continue the series Sunday afternoon at 2:05 p.m. Brian Letko (0-1, 4.09) will pitch for the Lugnuts, while Given Kutz (3-2, 4.10) will take the mound for the Loons.

AUDIO HIGHLIGHTS
6th: Brandon Taylor homers to give the Loons the lead.
7th: Alfredo Silverio adds a run in the seventh.