Whitecaps Swept Away In Series Finale

July 19, 2010 - Midwest League (MWL1)
West Michigan Whitecaps News Release

GENEVA, IL - The West Michigan Whitecaps finished a 1-5 road trip with their fourth consecutive loss on Monday, falling by an 8-2 score as the Kane County Cougars completed a three-game sweep at Elfstrom Stadium.

West Michigan (7-17, 33-60) had their chances early, but went just 2-for-14 with runners in scoring position and stranded 12 runners on base. Four of the five walks issued by the Whitecaps pitching staff came around to score, as red-hot Kane County (16-8, 48-45) kept rolling with their seventh consecutive win while completing a dominant 8-1 homestand.

The Cougars were able to jump in front early by turning leadoff walks into runs in each of the first two innings.

In the opening frame, Connor Crumbliss drew a free pass and was bunted to second. A wild pitch then moved Crumbliss to third and drew the infield in, enabling Myrio Richard to bounce a single over the third baseman's head for the first run of the game. One inning later, Leonardo Gil walked and eventually scored on an infield single with two outs by Jose Crisotomo for a 2-0 lead.

That score remained until the fifth, when Kane County went back to work and doubled the advantage. With reliever Zach Samuels on the hill for West Michigan, Crisotomo singled and Anthony Aliotti drew a walk. The runners were at first and second with two outs when Jason Christian lifted a flare down the left field line that dropped just beyond the outstretched glove of a diving Jamie Johnson. Though Christian was thrown out trying to stretch the hit into a triple, his two-base knock scored both baserunners as the Cougars pushed their lead to 4-0.

West Michigan cut the deficit in half with a rally in the seventh. Jimmy Gulliver got it started with an infield single while Jeff Rowland added a base hit with one out. Corey Jones followed with a bloop-single to center that drove home Gulliver, and a throwing error later in the frame allowed Rowland to trot home and make it a 4-2 ballgame.

Within shouting distance for a moment, the Whitecaps watched a manageable deficit disappear in the bottom of the eighth. Kane County used a walk and two singles to load the bases with nobody out before reliever Nathan Newman hit a batter to force in a run. As the inning continued, Chris Affinito drove in a run with a well-executed suicide squeeze bunt and Crumbliss added a two-run double as the Cougars snatched a comfortable 8-2 advantage.

Kane County's Murphy Smith (5-0) earned the win, staying perfect by scattering nine hits and allowing two runs - one earned - over 6.2 innings of work. West Michigan starter Jared Wesson (2-1) suffered his first loss of the season, giving up two runs on four hits over four frames.

Two Whitecaps players were able to extend lengthy hitting streaks in the loss. Wade Gaynor singled with two outs in the ninth to keep his streak alive at 14 games, and is batting a blistering .367 during the longest streak by a Whitecaps player this season. Meanwhile, Rob Brantly's sixth-inning single continued a 12-game stretch for the 20-year-old catcher who was playing in just his 20th game since being taken in the third-round of the 2010 draft.

The Whitecaps return to Fifth Third Ballpark to host the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (Brewers) on Wednesday, July 21, for a 7:00 p.m. game featuring Hand Fans for the first 2,500 fans thanks to DFCU Financial and post-game fireworks courtesy of Farm Bureau Insurance. RHP Victor Larez (6-7, 4.56) is slated to take the hill for the 'Caps against RHP Maverick Lasker (5-3, 3.36) of the Timber Rattlers. Season, group and individual tickets can be reserved by calling the Whitecaps front office at 616-784-4131 or visiting whitecapsbaseball.com.

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Midwest League Stories from July 19, 2010

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• Bandits Edge TinCaps 2-1 in Series Finale - Quad Cities River Bandits
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• Smith, Cougars Cruise Past Whitecaps - Kane County Cougars
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