MWL1 West Michigan Whitecaps

'Caps Open Road Trip With Hard-Fought Loss

Published on April 30, 2010 under Midwest League (MWL1)
West Michigan Whitecaps News Release


SOUTH BEND, IN - The West Michigan Whitecaps did not go down without a fight on Friday night at Stanley Coveleski Regional Stadium, but ended up on the losing end of a 4-2 score in the first game of a four-game set against the South Bend Silver Hawks.

West Michigan (7-15) was stifled by Silver Hawks starter Charles Brewer in the opening game of a seven-game road trip. South Bend (10-12) has won the first four meetings of the season-series between the two clubs.

Brewer (2-2) was brilliant on Friday, using impeccable fastball command to throw six scoreless innings of two-hit baseball. He struck out seven without issuing a walk and only one of the two hits against him left the infield. Brewer set down 12 batters in a row at one point and registered 1-2-3 frames in four of his six innings pitched.

Meanwhile, the Silver Hawks jumped onto the scoreboard early in the bottom of the first. On an evening featuring 22 mph winds, Chris Owings lifted a high fly ball to shallow right that dropped in behind the second baseman for a gift single. One pitch later, Bobby Borchering clubbed a two-run homer to left as the home team snatched a 2-0 lead.

South Bend pushed the lead to 4-0 with a sacrifice fly by Owings in the second and a two-out, run-scoring double by David Nick in the fifth.

The Whitecaps threatened late in the game as three consecutive singles in the top of the eighth loaded the bases with nobody out. Mike Gosse hit a grounder to second that scored the 'Caps first run, but South Bend turned it into a 4-6-3 double play that helped minimize the damage. Wade Gaynor delivered a two-out single that cut the deficit to 4-2 and West Michigan eventually put runners at second and third, but Michael Rockett struck out swinging with the potential game-tying run in scoring position to end the threat.

A one-out single by Hernan Perez in the ninth brought the game-tying run to the plate, but the Whitecaps were unable to finish the comeback.

Yonata Ortega (6) earned the four-out save by skirting out of trouble in both the eighth and ninth innings.

Jade Todd (0-4) suffered the loss for West Michigan after allowing four runs on eight hits over six innings.

The Whitecaps continue their seven-game road trip with a 5:30 p.m. first pitch in South Bend on Saturday, May 1. RHP Victor Larez (1-3, 2.82) will start for West Michigan against RHP Eric Smith (2-1, 0.75) of the Silver Hawks in the second game of the four-game set. 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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Midwest League Stories from April 30, 2010


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