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West Michigan Whitecaps

Bernard And The Caps Outlast Beloit

April 11, 2014 - Midwest League (MWL1)
West Michigan Whitecaps News Release


COMSTOCK PARK, MI - Runs were hard to come by on Friday night at Fifth Third Ballpark.

But after 14 innings of hard-fought baseball, a walk-off double by Wynton Bernard clinched a 2-1 victory for the West Michigan Whitecaps against the Beloit Snappers.

Bernard's clutch hit ended a marathon pitchers' duel that was scoreless through seven innings and tied at 1-1 through the first 13 frames. It came off Beloit (4-4) infielder Sam Roberts (0-1), who worked a perfect bottom of the 13th before issuing a leadoff walk in the 14th that came around to score on Bernard's deep fly to the warning track in right-center.

The winning rally came after a dramatic sequence in the top of the 14th in which Beloit nearly jumped ahead. Tyler Marincov drilled a liner to center that fooled Bernard, who took a step in, quickly backtracked, and then stumbled as he attempted a leaping catch. The ball bounced all the way to the wall as Marincov raced around the bases for a leadoff triple.

But reliever Joe Mantiply and the West Michigan (4-4) infield defense was up to the task.

With the infield in, Mantiply induced a bouncer to Brett Harrison at third for the first out. The next pitch was smoked on the ground up the middle, but shortstop Curt Powell made a tremendous diving stab behind the mound as Marincov hesitated and stayed at third, resulting in the second out. Following a routine groundout to first that ended the inning, the Snappers were left 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position.

Mantiply (1-0) was rewarded with the victory following 2.2 innings of scoreless relief. Fellow bullpen-mates Julio Felix and Scott Sitz were also effective, combining to add six stingy innings of one-run baseball.

Earlier in the game, starting pitcher Jonathon Crawford impressed with a stellar outing in his Fifth Third Ballpark debut. The Detroit Tigers' first-round pick last summer, Crawford retired 12 of the first 13 batters he faced on his way to 5.1 shutout innings. He struck out five and walked one, allowing just four singles before his removal from the game after exactly 80 pitches.

The only scoring prior to the 14th inning occurred in the eighth.

In the top of the frame, Beloit got doubles from Luis Baez and B.J. Boyd to grab a 1-0 lead.

The Whitecaps answered in the bottom of the inning. After Ben Verlander dumped a two-out double inside the right field line, Raph Rhymes sent a bouncer to the right side that caromed off the arm of first baseman Ryan Huck. Verlander raced around third as second baseman Chih-Fang Pan fired towards the plate, but the baserunner slid around an attempted swipe tag to tie the score at 1-1.

The Whitecaps continue their first homestand of the season with a 1:00 p.m. first pitch on Saturday afternoon against the Beloit Snappers at Fifth Third Ballpark. RHP Buck Farmer is scheduled to pitch for West Michigan against RHP Dylan Covey of the Snappers. Season, group and individual tickets can be reserved by calling the Whitecaps' front office at 616-784-4131 or visiting www.whitecapsbaseball.com.

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