Cougars fall 9-5 to Loons

MIDLAND, Mich. - Great Lakes used 9 straight runs Sunday to guarantee a series victory over the Cougars. With the 9-5 victory, the Loons (14-15, 48-51) handed the Cougars (19-10, 64-35) their first series loss of the second half.

Tyler Skulina was given a lead before he even took the mound, as the Cougars scored 3 runs in the opening inning. Shawon Dunston Jr. scored on a wild pitch before Jacob Rogers blasted a 2-run home run over the right-field wall. Rogers' homer was his team-leading 10th.

Loons starter Scott Barlow (4-4) settled down after that, working 5 innings to pick up the win.

The Loons grabbed a run in the bottom of the first and knocked Skulina (4-6) out of the game in the third inning. Great Lakes connected on 4 straight hits, including a 2-run homer from Josmar Cordero, for a 4-run inning to put the Loons ahead 5-3.

Michael Heesch came on in relief in the third and pitched 3⅓ scoreless innings, striking out six.

Two-run efforts in the seventh and eighth innings boosted the lead as the Loons took a 9-3 advantage into the ninth.

The Cougars look to avoid their third sweep of the season with an 11:05 a.m. first pitch Monday from the Dow Diamond. Daury Torrez (9-4, 2.81) starts for the Cougars against Great Lakes' Zachary Bird (4-11, 4.18).