The Top 10 Lugnuts Games of the 2010 Season


Well, no playoffs this year, but there was certainly great excitement for the Lugs all along the way! How many of these moments do you remember?


10. Late life at Dow Diamond, April 11th.
* read the press release * listen to Nolan's RBI single *
It was the Lugnuts' first win of the year, a remarkable offensive outburst that saw Lansing score nine runs between the seventh and eighth innings to wipe away a seemingly commanding 7-1 Great Lakes lead. Kevin Nolan supplied the crowning blow with a two-run single, delivering the Lugs a sensational 10-8 victory.

9. Sobolewski, Eiland complete comeback, May 23rd.
* read the press release * listen to Sobolewski's home run and Eiland's game-winning single *
The Lugnuts at one point trailed Great Lakes 4-0, but Lansing chipped away at the lead. With two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, Mark Sobolewski slugged a game-tying home run off of Loons relief ace Steve Smith. An inning later, Eric Eiland lined a walk-off single against fireballer Luis Vasquez for a thrilling victory.

8. Brad Glenn hits for the cycle, July 26th.
* read the press release *
Facing the Clinton LumberKings on Summer Fun Day, Brad Glenn became the fifth Lugnut in team history, and the first since Travis Snider in 2007, to hit for the cycle, leading the way in a 9-5 victory. The Oklahoman singled in the 1st, homered in the 3rd, doubled (sun-aided) in the 5th, and snapped a 4-4 tie with a two-run triple in the 7th inning.

7. Turkamania runs wild, June 25th.
* read the press release * listen to Turkamani's game-winning single *
Trailing 4-2 to the Dayton Dragons entering the ninth inning, the Lugnuts used RBI singles from Kenny Wilson and Ryan Goins to tie the score. Dayton recaptured the lead at 6-4 in the 11th inning, but this time it was little-used catcher Karim Turkamani who played the hero, dumping a broken-bat game-winning single into left field and setting off a jubilant celebration on Jackson Field.

6. Glenn comes through in a pinch, April 13th.
* read the press release *
With the score tied at 1-1 in the top of the ninth inning, the Lansing Lugnuts called upon slugger Brad Glenn to pinch-hit --- and Glenn came through with a tie-breaking home run to give the Lugnuts a three-game sweep at Dow Diamond.

5. Steve Turnbull whiffs the Whitecaps, August 25th.
* read the press release * listen to Turnbull's final strikeout *
The Lugnuts entered their series at West Michigan teetering on elimination, but a 4-for-4 performance from Kevin Ahrens staked the Luggies out to a comfortable lead. It didn't last -- the Caps came all the way back to within a run at 7-6, thanks to back-to-back doubles to open the ninth. Closer Steve Turnbull seized the moment, striking out the 2-3-4 hitters in the Whitecaps order, Jeff Rowland, Corey Jones, and Wade Gaynor, to preserve the victory.

4. Sean Ochinko walks off, August 15th.
* read the press release * listen to Ochinko's game-winning home run *
It was the Nuts' only game-winning home run of the 2010, and it came against powerful Fort Wayne before an enormous Sunday crowd of over 8,000. Brad Glenn's two-out two-run double had tied the score in the seventh inning, setting the stage for Sean Ochinko to win the game in the ninth.

3. The patriotic bad hop, July 4th.
* read the press release * listen to Jackson's game-winning hit *
The Lugnuts lost the first eight games they played against the Lake County Captains in 2010. It was almost nine straight, but Justin Jackson's routine two-out ground ball in the 10th inning took a bad hop over the head of second baseman Argenis Martinez and scored the tying and game-winning runs before an Independence Day crowd of 11,114.

2. Glenn and Ahrens shock the Hot Rods, August 2nd.
* read the press release * listen to Glenn's home run and Ahrens' home run *
It was looking like a heartbreaking night in Bowling Green for the Lugs. The Hot Rods had scored six runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to take a 9-7 lead, and closer Alex Koronis neatly recorded the first two outs in the top of the ninth. Were the Lugnuts dead? Hardly. Brad Glenn cracked a solo home run, A.J. Jimenez singled, and Kevin Ahrens followed with a two-run homer for a stirring win.

1. Chris Hopkins wins the Lugnuts' 1,000th game, May 1st.
* read the press release * listen to Hopkins' game-winning hit *
Could there be any other choice? Before an electric crowd, the Lugnuts dramatically achieved their 1,000th all-time win in Lansing on a game-winning line drive from Chris Hopkins against Fort Wayne.