Late inning rally pays off for Wizards

August 7, 2006 - Midwest League (MWL1)
West Michigan Whitecaps News Release

COMSTOCK PARK - A pitchers duel turned into a rough night for the Whitecaps as Fort Wayne scored five times in the top of the eighth in a 5-1 win over West Michigan. The Whitecaps have dropped two of the first three in their series against the Wizards.

Will Rhymes committed an error on an RBI ground ball by A. J. Davidiuk in the top of the eighth. The miscue allowed a second run to score on the play to put Fort Wayne on top, 2-1. It also ended a streak of 66.2 innings without an error for the Whitecaps.

West Michigan established a new team record with six consecutive errorless games, August 1-6.

Mike Baxter hit an RBI double and Mike Sansoe had a two-run single as Fort Wayne poured on three more runs and batted around in the eighth.

Josh Rainwater and Wade LeBlanc were the starting pitchers for the Whitecaps and Wizards, respectively and last faced each other during high school in Louisiana. LeBlanc allowed a run on a single by Matt Joyce in the fourth to put the Whitecaps on top, 1-0.

Rainwater threw 5.1 shutout innings and gave up six hits but left the game due to an apparent elbow injury in the sixth inning. LeBlanc yielded just three hits in five innings on the mound for Fort Wayne. Neither earned a decision.

The Whitecaps put two on base with one out in the ninth, but John Madden was brought in to retire the last two batters and earn his 14th save of the season for the Wizards.

Maybin Watch: Detroit Tigers 2005 first round pick Cameron Maybin has shined this season in centerfield for the Whitecaps. Below are his latest stats:

Monday vs. Fort Wayne; 1-4

Season: .322, 19 2B, 5 3B, 6 HR, 53 RBI, 25 SB.

It Happened So Fast: Tomorrow is the final day of this four game Whitecaps home stand, which is sandwiched between eight game road trips. RHP Greg Burke (3-4, 4.19) is expected to be on the mound for Fort Wayne against West Michigan LHP Erik Averill (8-4, 3.79). First pitch is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. The Whitecaps Pre Game Show begins at 6:50 p.m. on 1340 AM WBBL and at wbbl.com.

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Midwest League Stories from August 7, 2006

• Base running blunders cost Kernels, 3-2 - Cedar Rapids Kernels
• Lisson blasts two homers to lead offensive explosion for Bees - Burlington Bees
• Swing fall short in ninth-inning rally - Quad Cities River Bandits
• Snappers squeak by Wisconsin - Wisconsin Timber Rattlers
• Cougars roll over rival - Peoria Chiefs
• The Devil Rays get uptoned - Southwest Michigan Devil Rays
• Dragons stung by Bees, 9-0 - Dayton Dragons
• Late inning rally pays off for Wizards - West Michigan Whitecaps
• Former Hawks Traded - South Bend Silver Hawks
• Final Noon game of the season Tomorrow - Cedar Rapids Kernels
• Campbell sent down to Eugene - Fort Wayne TinCaps
• Rhyne Hughes to Disabled List - Southwest Michigan Devil Rays
• Kroger Baseball Buddy Plays Ball with Dragons` - Dayton Dragons
• Dragons Get Wood Back On the Mound - Dayton Dragons
• ML Motorsports Coming To Wizards Game August 14 - Fort Wayne TinCaps

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