MUSKEGON- The Muskegon Clippers had their first ever fireworks show after their game on Saturday night, but that turned out to be the second big explosion of the evening.

The first came from the Clippers themselves, who broke out of a recent hitting slump some offensive fireworks of their own.

The Clippers pounded out 10 hits, including two hard hit doubles and two home runs, en route to an impressive 6-1 victory over the Sandusky Ice Haulers at Marsh Field.

Muskegon first baseman Trent Nielsen holds on a runner on base.

“Our job is to challenge our guys when things are not going very well,” said Clippers Manager Greg Fleener. “We challenged them to come out with a lot of energy, and they came out and played really hard, really fast.

“When this group is locked in, they have the potential to be really stinking good, and we need to repeat this, night in and night out.”

The Clipper bats were aided by some great pitching from starter James Geshel, who tossed a complete game while allowing only one run on four hits while striking out eight.

“He was as locked in as we’ve had a guy be this year,” Fleener said about Geshel. “We had a plan on how many pitches he could throw, but he kept telling me he was good, and I thought he earned the right to shut the door on this game.”

The Clippers and Ice Haulers took a moment after the third inning to pay tribute to cancer victims and everyone who has been affected by the disease.

“I felt pretty good out there and took it one inning at a time,” Geshel said. “I made big pitches when I needed to, and it kept us on top during the game.”

The Clippers, who had lost five of their last seven games, are now 11-13 on the season. They will try to win the rubber match of the three-game series against Sandusky on Sunday at home at 5 p.m.

The Clippers opened the scoring in the first inning with a solo home run from Jacob Anderson. Muskegon added two more runs in the second frame on a fielder’s choice play and a double steal to take a 3-0 lead.

Trent Nielsen scores a run for the Clippers. 

AJ Miranda hit a two-run homer in the third inning to give the Clippers a 5-0 advantage.

The teams exchanged runs in the sixth inning, with Muskegon’s coming on an RBI triple from Logan Hylek.

The Clippers were paced offensively by Anderson, Miranda and Stoney Smith with two hits apiece.

A young fan competes in a contest that requires players to spin around a bat until they are dizzy. then race to the finish line.