Loons’ first season comes to a close with loss to Wizards

The Great Lakes Loons’ inaugural season came to an end Monday as the Loons fell to the Fort Wayne Wizards 6-2 at Dow Diamond.

For the third straight game a big inning doomed Great Lakes as the Wizards plated four runs in the top half of the eighth inning to take the lead. Loons’ reliever Blake Brannon allowed an RBI-single to Wizards’ catcher Luis Martinez to push across the go-ahead run before Fort Wayne designated hitter Brian Lauderdale belted a three-run home run to left to blow the game open.

Before Martinez’s single, the game had been knotted at 2-2 thanks to an RBI groundout from Francisco Lizarraga. Lizarraga then stole second and scored when Trayvon Robinson hit a long double off the wall in left field. But despite finishing the afternoon with 11 hits, the Loons’ offense would be unable to plate another run as the Wizards held on for the win.

Brannon (2-2) picked up the loss, allowing four runs in his only inning of work. Paul Coleman started the game for the Loons and pitched five innings allowing two runs and striking out five, while Miguel Sanfler came on in relief and pitched two scoreless innings while striking out four. Joe Jones pitched the final inning in the ballgame.

The Loons finish the season 57-82, but seemed to be a bigger success in the eyes of the fans who turned out by the thousands to watch them. Monday’s game was the 30th sellout this season and the Loons’ season attendance rose to almost 325,000.

After the ballgame an on-field ceremony commemorated the 2007 season with a highlight video followed by speeches from Loons’ manager Lance Parrish and team President and General Manager Paul Barbeau. Loons’ players shook hands with fans as they exited Dow Diamond following the post-game fireworks show.

A box score of Monday’s game is available at milb.com.