
Cardenas Carries Captains to 3-0 Record
April 6, 2019 - Midwest League (MWL1)
Lake County Captains News Release
(Midland, MI) - After capturing the first two games of the season at home, the Lake County Captains (3-0) needed some help to push their season-opening win streak to three games and Ruben Cardenas delivered. The right fielder came through with a go-ahead home run in the sixth and, after the Great Lakes Loons (0-3) regained the lead, a go-ahead double in the eighth that proved to be the game-winning hit in a 5-3, come-from-behind victory.
For the first time in the series, the Loons drew first blood, scoring against Lake County starter Juan Mota in the second inning. Miguel Vargas laced a one-out double to the right-centerfield gap and later scored when Leonel Valera popped a fly ball that dunked down the right field line for an RBI single.
Loons starter Josiah Gray flummoxed the Captains over the first four innings and not only maintained the 1-0 lead, but also held the Captains hitless. The right-hander, who was traded from the Cincinnati Reds to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the Yasiel Puig trade this past December, made a strong first impression in his Dodgers organizational debut. He struck out six batters over those hitless innings and walked just one. In the fifth, however, the Captains capitalized on a bloop single of their own to tie the game.
Quentin Holmes led off the fifth and hit a fly ball to left field that dropped in front of Niko Hulsizer for the Captains' first hit of the game. Holmes then used his wheels and took off for second base. Catcher Hunter Feduccia air-mailed the throw and Holmes promptly took third. Jesse Berardi worked a one-out walk and stole second to put two men in scoring position for Angel Lopez and the Captains' DH ripped a single into left. Holmes scored easily on Lopez's first Captains knock to tie the game, but Hulsizer threw Berardi out at home to keep the score at 1-1.
Cardenas gave the Captains their first lead in the sixth. With two outs and nobody on, he smoked a line drive that sailed over the left field wall. Cardenas' first professional regular season homer was the Captains' first long ball of the year and gave Lake County a 2-1 advantage.
The Lake County lead was short lived. In the bottom of the sixth, Captains reliever Thomas Ponticelli issued a one-out walk to James Outman and Hulsizer smashed a double down the left field line to bring home Outman from first with the tying run. Vargas came up next and roped his second double of the game to the right-centerfield alley. Hulsizer trotted home to give the Loons a 3-2 lead.
The Captains bounced back in the eighth and took the lead for good with a three-run frame against Loons reliever Jasiel Alvino. Jose Fermin started the rally with a one-out single and Alvino walked Marcos Gonzalez to put two aboard. Cardenas came up next and yanked a double into the left field corner that scored both Fermin and Gonzalez to give the Captains a 4-3 lead. After Josh Rolette singled, Holmes hit a fly ball to centerfield and Cardenas scored from third on the sacrifice fly to make it 5-3.
Skylar Arias closed the door in the ninth to earn the save and nail down the win for Lake County. The lefty struck out a pair and walked one for his first save of the year. Ponticelli (1-0) picked up the win after allowing two runs on four hits over four innings. He struck out three and walked two.
Alvino (0-1) suffered the loss and a blown save in his first outing of the year. He only pitched the eighth and was responsible for three runs on three hits with one walk and one strikeout.
The Captains will try to start the season 4-0 for the second year in a row when they wrap up their four-game, home-and-home series with the Loons on Sunday afternoon. First pitch at Dow Diamond is scheduled for 2:05 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.
Midwest League Stories from April 6, 2019
- Chiefs Fall 10-8 Saturday - Peoria Chiefs
- Snappers Win Slugfest against Peoria on Chiefs' Opening Night - Beloit Sky Carp
- Bandits Shut out in Both Games of Twin Bill at Burlington - Quad Cities River Bandits
- LumberKings Walk to Opening Night Win - Clinton LumberKings
- Hot Rods Sell out Opener in 6-0 Loss - Bowling Green Hot Rods
- Perez's Homer Lone Highlight in Five-Run Loss - Kane County Cougars
- Lugnuts Open with Loss to 'Caps, 8-4 - Lansing Lugnuts
- TinCaps Win Road Opener - Fort Wayne TinCaps
- Dragons Earn Shutout Win at Bowling Green, 6-0 - Dayton Dragons
- Cardenas Carries Captains to 3-0 Record - Lake County Captains
- 'Caps Conquer Cubs in Home Opener - West Michigan Whitecaps
- Gray with Strong Debut in Loons Loss - Great Lakes Loons
- Hitless Debut for Sands Not Enough at Wisconsin - Cedar Rapids Kernels
- Rattlers Take Home Opener 2-0 from Cedar Rapids - Wisconsin Timber Rattlers
- Cubs Lose for First Time in 2019, 3-1 to West Michigan - South Bend Cubs
- Bowling Green Hot Rods Game Notes - Bowling Green Hot Rods
- TinCaps Game Notes: April 6 at Lansing (Game 3) - Fort Wayne TinCaps
- De Paula, Acquired in Pillar Trade, to Start Tonight for Lugnuts - Lansing Lugnuts
- Dayton Dragons Notes for Saturday - Dayton Dragons
- Alvarez Homers, Pitchers K 16 in 7-5 Loss - Bowling Green Hot Rods
- Burgos, Doubles Drive Captains to 2-0 Start - Lake County Captains
- Gorman Collects Four Hits, But Chiefs Lose in Iowa - Peoria Chiefs
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.
Other Recent Lake County Captains Stories
- Captain of the Week (6/24-6/29): Esteban González
- Whitecaps Defeat Captains in 10-8 Sunday Slugfest
- Whitecaps' Offensive Barrage Conquers Captains, 21-4
- West Michigan's Five-Run Stretch Defeats Captains, 8-4
- Fourth Inning Onslaught Steers Captains to 10-6 Win over Whitecaps

