Captains Fall to Whitecaps 7-2 in Game 1 of Midwest League East Division Championship Series, Now Face Elimination
MWL Lake County Captains

Captains Fall to Whitecaps 7-2 in Game 1 of Midwest League East Division Championship Series, Now Face Elimination

Published on September 10, 2025 under Midwest League (MWL)
Lake County Captains News Release


EASTLAKE, Ohio - In Game 1 of the 2025 Midwest League East Division Championship Series, the Lake County Captains (74-58) (0-1) fell to the West Michigan Whitecaps (92-39) (1-0) by a final score of 7-2 on Tuesday night at Classic Auto Group Park in Eastlake.

With the defeat, Lake County now needs to win on the road on Thursday night to force a decisive Game 3 in the 2025 Midwest League East Division Championship Series.

West Michigan jumped out to an early 3-0 lead through the first two innings.

A pair of RBI singles from Whitecaps DH Andrew Jenkins and 1B Garrett Pennington put the game's first two runs on the board for the visitors in the top of the first inning. Then, in the following frame, an RBI groundout from 2B Peyton Graham gave the Whitecaps a three-run advantage.

Lake County then found the scoreboard in the home half of the third inning, when LF Nick Mitchell hit an RBI single to make it a 3-1 contest. A single from RF Esteban González brought the potential tying run to the plate with just one out, but a strikeout from C Bennett Thompson and a pop out from DH Ryan Cesarini kept West Michigan in front.

The Whitecaps then regained their three-run edge in the top of the fourth inning with a two-out RBI triple from SS Woody Hadeen off Captains LHP Matt Wilkinson (L, 0-1). The portsider suffered the first postseason loss of his professional career, allowing four runs on seven hits, while throwing six strikeouts to just one walk in 4.1 innings of work.

After a scoreless fifth inning from both sides, Lake County again cut its deficit to two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning. An RBI single from 3B Juan Benjamin off West Michigan LHP Joe Miller (W, 1-0) put the potential go-ahead run at the plate for the Captains with only one out. Miller earned the win, allowing two runs on eight hits, while throwing five strikeouts to just one walk in 5.1 innings pitched. Whitecaps RHP Colin Fields (H, 1) then entered the game and retired the next two Lake County batters to preserve West Michigan's lead.

The Whitecaps then scored the final three runs of the night in the top of the seventh inning. After Captains RHP Sean Matson (ND) began the frame with his lone strikeout of the night, the right-hander permitted back-to-back singles to put two runners aboard for West Michigan. Lake County LHP Izaak Martinez (ND) then entered the game for the Captains and surrendered a three-run home run to Whitecaps 3B Izaac Pacheco, MLB Pipeline's No. 21 Tigers prospect, which put the visitors ahead 7-2.

Following a scoreless eighth inning from both teams, Lake County threatened with a comeback effort in the bottom of the ninth inning. Three straight singles from 1B Maick Collado, 2B Kyle Dernedde, and Mitchell off West Michigan RHP Marco Jimenez loaded the bases with nobody out. But the Whitecaps right-hander set down the final Captains hitters with a pair of strikeouts and a flyout to end the ballgame.

After an off day on Wednesday, the Captains will play Game 2 of the 2025 Midwest League East Division Championship Series on the road against the West Michigan Whitecaps on Thursday, Sept. 11. First pitch for Game 2 of the best-of-three set is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. from LMCU Ballpark in Comstock Park, Michigan. The game will be broadcast on the Bally Sports Live App, MiLB.com, and StreamGuys, with social media coverage courtesy of @LCCaptains on X and Instagram.

Notes to Know

- Including the postseason, OF Nick Mitchell extended his on-base streak to 16 games with three singles and a walk on Tuesday night. The 22-year-old is batting .339 with 20 hits, three doubles, three triples, one home run, seven RBI, 13 walks to 14 strikeouts, and five stolen bases during this span.

- OF Jaison Chourio, MLB Pipeline's No. 6 Guardians prospect, went 2-for-4 with a double, a single, and a run scored on Tuesday night. Including the postseason, the 20-year-old is batting .390 with 16 hits, two doubles, one home run, five RBI, four walks, one stolen base, a .444 on-base percentage, a .512 slugging percentage, and a .956 OPS during this span.

- LHP Matt Wilkinson threw a professional postseason career-high six strikeouts on Tuesday night. The 2023 10th-round pick out of Central Arizona College (JUCO) has thrown a combined 13 strikeouts in three playoff starts for the Captains across 2024 and 2025.

Check out the Lake County Captains Statistics

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Midwest League Stories from September 10, 2025


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