MWL1 West Michigan Whitecaps

Ficociello Goes Deep, Green Earns First Win

Published on June 4, 2014 under Midwest League (MWL1)
West Michigan Whitecaps News Release


COMSTOCK PARK, MI - Dominic Ficociello was 2-for-4 with a home run and Chad Green earned his first win of the year as the West Michigan Whitecaps opened a six-game homestand with a 4-1 victory over the Great Lakes Loons on Wednesday night at Fifth Third Ballpark.

The win pulled West Michigan (33-26) to within 2.5 games of first-place Sound Bend while increasing their lead in the wild card race to 2.5 games ahead of Dayton. There are just 11 games remaining in the first half of the season, at which point the top two teams in the Midwest League's Eastern Division will receive playoff berths.

On Wednesday, the Whitecaps' offense jumped out to an early lead while the pitching staff controlled the pace of the game.

In the bottom of the first inning, Javier Betancourt reached base on a one-out error and Raph Rhymes doubled him to third. Run-scoring singles by Ficociello and Wynton Bernard gave West Michigan a prompt 2-0 advantage.

That turned out to be enough for Chad Green and company.

Though Green (1-2) has pitched well all season, the 23-year-old out of Louisville finally earned his first win thanks to six strong innings. He scattered five hits and allowed one run, striking out two and inducing a pair of groundball double plays.

The only blemish was a solo home run by Jacob Scavuzzo that cut the lead to 2-1 in the top of the fourth.

But Green combined with relievers Zac Reininger and Julio Felix to shut down the Loons the rest of the way. The trio retired 18 of the last 21 batters they faced and did not allow a runner to reach as far as scoring position after the home run by Scavuzzo. In fact, they allowed just two runners to reach scoring position all night long.

After 1.2 innings of scoreless relief from Reininger, Felix (3) retired all four of the batters he faced to earn the save.

West Michigan showed both speed and power while adding a pair of insurance runs.

Bernard led off the bottom of the fourth with a single and proceeded to wreak havoc on the bases. Great Lakes pitcher Brandon Martinez was rightfully preoccupied with the runner, who eventually drew a balk when he broke for second and Martinez improperly stepped off the rubber. Bernard broke for third base moments later and scored on a single by Francisco Contreras.

In the eighth, Ficociello made it a 4-1 game by drilling a no-doubt home run to right field, his fourth longball of the year.

Martinez (1-1) was charged with three runs - one earned - on six hits over five innings in the loss.

The Whitecaps continue their playoff push on Thursday night with a 7:00 p.m. first pitch against the Great Lakes Loons. RHP Jonathon Crawford (2-1, 2.27) is scheduled to pitch for West Michigan against RHP Scott Barlow (1-1, 3.93) of Great Lakes. The theme of the evening will be Country Night and it will also be an Altogas Thrifty Thursday featuring $2 beers, Pepsi products and hot dogs. 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 June 4, 2014


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