By Dave Hart
LocalSportsJournal.com

MUSKEGON- The Muskegon Clippers jumped out to another early lead on Sunday night, and this time they made it stick.

On Saturday the Clippers grabbed a 3-0 first-inning lead against the Grand River Loggers, but ended up losing 9-6.

On Sunday they seized a 4-0 first-inning edge over the St. Clair Green Giants and ended up winning, 6-4, in a night game at Marsh Field.

Muskegon is now 2-1 against the Green Giants, the first-place team in the Northern Division of the Great Lakes Collegiate Baseball League.

The Clippers are 4-6 overall on the season and in fourth place in the same division.

The two teams will have a rematch on Monday night at Marsh Field at 7:05 p.m., before the Clippers head on the road to play five games in four days.

“Big win for us,” said Clippers Manager Walt Gawkowski. “I thought (starting pitcher) Scott Bean was excellent. He gave us six good innings and mixed it very well. We pitched very well.

“It was nice to get ahead early, and the biggest thing that pleased me was the energy we had on the bench.”

Bean collected the win for the Clippers, allowing two runs on four hits while striking out five batters and walking six in 5 2/3 innings.

Muskegon closer Andrew Null picked up a six-out save, relinquishing one hit and striking out two batters.

Ryan Blake-Jones and Wyatt Featherston paced the Clippers at the plate with two hits apiece. Six different players scored a run for Muskegon in the contest.

The Clippers jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning on an RBI single by Peter Zimmermann, a groundout RBI from Featherston and a two-run double by Tyler Trovinger.

The Green Giants responded in the fourth inning, scoring on a wild pitch and a sacrifice fly by Nicholas Enrico to cut Muskegon’s lead to 4-2.

Muskegon regained its four-run edge with two runs in the fifth inning on an RBI groundout by Cameron Bair and a run-scoring single from Featherston.

St. Clair closed out the scoring in the seventh frame with a two-run single by Adam Tanoue.