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MWL1 Lake County Captains

Captains Lose Wild Extra-Innings Affair

May 4, 2018 - Midwest League (MWL1)
Lake County Captains News Release


(Eastlake, OH) -Thursday night at Classic Park was anything but routine. In their first extra-innings game of the year, the Lake County Captains (12-13) lost the lead in the eighth inning, came back from two runs down in the 10th and fell in 11 innings to the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (9-17). Lake County and Wisconsin combined to score 10 runs in extra innings alone, in a game that Wisconsin won, 11-7.

The Captains held a 4-3 lead going into the eighth inning, but Wisconsin came back to tie the score in an inning that had its own twists and turns. With one out, Nick Roscetti hit a grounder to third base and Nolan Jones bobbled the ball as he was about to throw for an error. Joantgel Segovia then dropped down a bunt and lefty reliever Kyle Nelson made a stellar play, hopping off the mound and fielding the ball on the third base side before hurrying an off-balance throw to first base for the out.

Roscetti moved to third base with two outs after the bunt and Devin Hairston hit a fly ball down the right field line. Oscar Gonzalez started toward the line and then broke sharply back toward the wall. The ball landed over his head and Roscetti scored to tie the game, while Hairston stopped at first with a single. Wisconsin nearly took the lead one batter later, but the Captains executed a stellar relay to end the inning. Tristen Lutz doubled to the right-centerfield gap and Hairston tried to score from first. Tyler Friis caught the relay throw from the gap and fired the ball home. Catcher Jonathan Laureano applied the tag on the hook-sliding Hairston to end the inning and keep the game tied.

The game remained tied until the 10th inning when Wisconsin jumped in front. Per the new Minor League Baseball rules, every extra inning begins with a free runner on second base. That free runner is designated as the final batter from the previous inning. The Timber Rattlers, however, began the 10th by sending Zach Clark to second base to pinch run for Jay Feliciano, who ended the ninth. With Clark on second, Payton Henry grounded out to the pitcher Tommy DeJuneas and Clark moved up to third base. Lake County pulled the infield in for Roscetti who hit a high chopper toward shortstop. Ernie Clement jumped up to catch the high bounce and fired home, but Clark slid home safely to put Wisconsin in front. Segovia then laced an RBI double that scored Roscetti to give the Timber Rattlers a 6-4 lead.

Lake County trailed by two runs in the bottom of the 10th, but rallied thanks in part to the free runner. Gonzalez was stationed at second base to begin the inning with Laureano at the plate. Laureano hit a high bouncer toward second base and Roscetti was poised to make the play. On the second bounce, however, the ball hit the lip of the infield grass and skidded through Roscetti's legs, allowing Gonzalez to score. That brought up Friis with the tying run on first and nobody out. Friis, batting right-handed against the lefty reliever Cody Beckman, slammed a ball to the gap in left-centerfield. Laureano raced around the bases and scored easily to tie the game and Friis dove head first into third with a game-tying triple.

The Captains were 90 feet away from winning the game and had nobody out in the 11th inning, so Wisconsin resorted to desperate measures. After Beckman got Jose Vicente to ground out to first base with the infield in, Timber Rattlers manager Matt Erickson called a mound conference and brought Segovia in from centerfield to be a part of a five-man infield. With three men on the left side of the infield and two on the right, Beckman struck out Todd Isaacs for the second out. Segovia moved back to centerfield and the infield backed up as Beckman retired Clement on a ground out to third to end the inning.

The ballgame was tied at 6-6 heading into the 11th, but it did not remain that way for long. Tristen Lutz was the free runner on second for Wisconsin with Jonathan Teaney on the mound. Teaney walked Demi Orimoloye and gave up a bloop single to Gilbert Lara that loaded the bases. Teaney then struck out KJ Harrison and the Captains were a double play away from escaping the trouble. Clark came up next and hit a screamer toward first base, but the ball glanced off of Vicente's glove and rolled toward foul territory. Lutz scored on the error to give Wisconsin a 7-6 lead. Payton Henry then followed with a three-run triple and later scored on a wild pitch to make it 11-6.

Lake County scratched across one last run in the 11th. Clement was the free runner and came home to score on an RBI single by Austen Wade, his second RBI knock of the night. Beckman then retired Jones on a fly out to left and Gonzalez on a grounder to short to end the game.

Even the beginning of the game had a see-saw nature to it. The Captains struck in the first inning. Jorma Rodriguez was hit by a pitch from Wisconsin starter Carlos Herrera and came home to score when Gonzalez singled to left. The Timber Rattlers later came back to tie the score in the third inning when Henry walked and eventually scored on a double by Segovia, who had three doubles in the ballgame.

The Timber Rattlers took the lead in the fourth inning on one swing by Lara. With Lutz on first and one out, Lara homered off the batter's eye in centerfield to give Wisconsin a 3-1 lead.

The Captains chipped away and tied the score with a run in the fifth and another in the sixth. In the fifth, Herrera walked Clement to lead off the inning and Clement stole second base. Wade then singled to score Clement and pull Lake County within one run. The following inning, Bowden Francis came in to pitch and promptly surrendered a leadoff double to Oscar Gonzalez. Laureano followed with an RBI single to knot the score.

In the seventh, Lake County took what turned out to be its last lead of the game. Clement singled to begin the frame and Rodriguez followed by dropping a bunt in the first base side grass and legging out a single. Wisconsin then turned a double play on a grounder by Wade, but Clement moved up to third, bringing Jones to the plate. Jones hit a soft tapper toward second base. Roscetti charged, fielded and threw to first, but his throw went wild and Clement scored on the error to put the Captains in front.

Teaney (0-2) ended up with the loss for Lake County. The right-hander pitched 2/3 of the 11th inning and allowed five runs, but only two were earned. He gave up two hits, walked one and struck out two.

Beckman (1-0) took home the win for Wisconsin. The lefty pitched the final three frames and allowed three unearned runs. He gave up two hits, walked one and struck out three.

The Captains lost two out of three to Wisconsin and will begin a new series against the Beloit Snappers on Friday. First pitch at Classic Park is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.

Information about Classic Park or the Captains can be found online at www.captainsbaseball.com and by phone at 440-954-WINS (9467). Affordable ticket packages and group party and picnic options are available now.

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