Captains Earn 15-13 Walk-Off Win in Wild Game 1, Split Doubleheader with Loons
MWL Lake County Captains

Captains Earn 15-13 Walk-Off Win in Wild Game 1, Split Doubleheader with Loons

Published on May 8, 2026 under Midwest League (MWL)
Lake County Captains News Release


EASTLAKE, Ohio - In Games 2 and 3 of a six-game series, the Lake County Captains (14-16) split a seven-inning doubleheader versus the Great Lakes Loons (19-11) on Thursday at Classic Auto Group Park in Eastlake.

The Captains won Game 1 by a final score of 15-13 in eight innings, but dropped Game 2 by a final score of 7-2. Lake County has split all three of its doubleheaders played this season.

GAME 1 (By Logan Potosky)

In Game 1, the Captains, who suited up as Los Picantes de Lake County for the first time in 2026, earned a 15-13 walk-off win in one of the wildest contests in Lake County franchise history.

With one out in the bottom of the eighth inning and Los Picantes trailing 13-12, pinch hitter Jeffrey Mercedes launched a walk-off three-run home run to win the ballgame. This was the switch hitter's second home run of the season.

RHP Kevin Rivas (W, 1-0) earned the win with an inning of relief for Lake County. The catcher/infielder allowed an unearned run on one hit, a go-ahead RBI single from Loons 1B Jose Meza that scored ghost runner Logan Wagner.

After trailing 7-3 heading into the bottom of the fourth inning, Los Picantes erupted for nine runs on eight hits in the home half of the fourth. 13 Lake County batters stepped up to the plate in the frame, with the first six Picantes reaching base.

CF Jace LaViolette, MLB Pipeline's No. 8 Guardians prospect, headlined the barrage with a two-run home run and a two-run single in the inning. 3B Garrett Howe also drove in his first two runs of the season with a pair of RBI singles. Lake County's other three runs in the frame were courtesy of an RBI single from 1B Nolan Schubart, MLB Pipeline's No. 27 Guardians prospect, an RBI double from DH Ryan Cesarini, and a balk from Great Lakes RHP Nicolas Cruz that allowed Cesarini to score.

Loons RHP Reynaldo Yean (L, 0-2) suffered the loss for the visitors, allowing three runs (two earned) on one hit in two innings pitched, walking two and striking out one. His lone hit allowed was Mercedes' pinch-hit, walk-off three-run home run.

Picantes RHP Braylon Doughty (ND), MLB Pipeline's No. 7 Guardians prospect, did not record a decision for Lake County. The right-hander allowed three runs (two earned) on three hits in two innings of work, striking out four and walking three.

GAME 2 (By Connor Canfield)

In Game 2, the Captains were held to five hits in a 7-2 defeat.

The Loons quickly raced out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning with an RBI double from LF Eduardo Quintero, MLB Pipeline's No. 3 Dodgers and No. 23 MLB prospect, and an RBI single from DH Logan Wagner.

Great Lakes added another run in the third with an RBI double from 2B Nico Perez, making it a 3-0 contest.

Lake County got on the board one inning later with an RBI double from 3B Luke Hill, MLB Pipeline's No. 30 Guardians prospect, his first two-bagger of the season.

The Loons, however, restored their three-run advantage an inning later thanks to a sacrifice fly from CF Chuck Davalan, MLB Pipeline's No. 8 Dodgers prospect.

Great Lakes blew the game open in the sixth with a two-out, three-run blast from SS Jose Izarra, his second homer of the year.

Hill stayed hot for the Captains in the home half of the sixth, clubbing his fifth home run of the season to drive in the final run of the contest.

LHP Rafe Schlesinger (L, 1-2) suffered the loss for Lake County, giving up four runs on five hits in 4.1 innings, walking three and striking out eight.

RHP Logan Tabeling (W, 1-1) earned the win for Great Lakes, allowing one run on four hits and two walks in 5.1 innings, tying his pro career-high with nine strikeouts.

The fourth game of this week's six-game series between the Captains and Loons is scheduled for Friday night, May 8, at 6:35 p.m. Lake County will celebrate Star Wars Night at the ballpark. The game will be broadcast on the Rock Entertainment Sports Network, the Bally Sports Live App, the MiLB App, and StreamGuys, with social media coverage courtesy of @LCCaptains on X and Instagram.

NOTES TO KNOW

- INF Jeffrey Mercedes hit a pinch-hit, walk-off home run to win Game 1 of Thursday's doubleheader for Lake County. This marked the Captains' first pinch-hit walk-off home run since June 25, 2019, when 1B/LF Jonathan Englemann hit a pinch-hit, walk-off solo shot versus the West Michigan Whitecaps.

- OF Ryan Cesarini logged a two-run home run and an RBI double in Game 1 of Thursday's doubleheader, as well as a single in Game 2. The 2024 14th-round pick out of Saint Joseph's is batting .308 (8-for-26) with three doubles, four home runs, and eight RBI over his last seven games.

- The Captains scored nine runs in the bottom of the fourth inning in Game 1 of Thursday's doubleheader. This marked Lake County's most runs in an inning since July 5, 2024 versus Dayton, when the Captains tied a franchise record with 12 runs in the bottom of the seventh inning.

Check out the Lake County Captains Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



Midwest League Stories from May 8, 2026


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central