MWL1 West Michigan Whitecaps

Holm's Career Night Highlights Blowout Win

Published on August 7, 2014 under Midwest League (MWL1)
West Michigan Whitecaps News Release


LANSING, MI - Jeff Holm was 5-for-5 with two home runs, Wynton Bernard turned in his fourth four-hit game of the season, and Austin Kubitza earned his 10th win of the year as the West Michigan Whitecaps opened a four-game series against the Lansing Lugnuts with a 14-6 blowout win at Cooley Law School Stadium.

After managing just 10 runs in their previous five games combined, West Michigan (29-17, 70-46) broke out for a season-high 18 hits and homered three times against Lansing (20-26, 52-63) on Thursday.

The offensive onslaught was spearheaded by Holm and Bernard.

Holm, a former Big Ten Player of the Year at nearby Michigan State, established a new career-high with five hits while driving in four runs and scoring three times in the city that hosted his college career. Bernard continued his banner season by reaching base in five of his six plate appearances and finishing a home run shy of the cycle, maintaining his franchise-record pace for both hits and runs in a season.

Kubitza (10-1) also stayed on pace to break a franchise record by improving his winning percentage to .909%. The 6-foot-5 right-hander dominated the Lugnuts through six impressive innings, allowing just one ball to leave the infield and retiring 18 of the last 19 batters that he faced. Kubitza recorded 13 of his outs on the ground and struck out five without issuing a walk. Of the three hits he allowed, two of them were infield singles.

The game was tied at 1-1 when the Whitecaps surged ahead in the top of the second. With men at second and third, Bennett Pickar ripped a two-run double inside the third base line. Bernard added an RBI-triple with two outs and later scored on an error for a 5-1 advantage.

After Holm drilled a leadoff homer in the top of the third, the 'Caps were off and running with a 6-1 lead. The score was 7-2 when West Michigan exploded for seven more runs over the final three innings.

The first four batters in the top of the seventh inning reached base safely. Following an RBI-single by Dominic Ficociello, Holm turned on the first pitch he saw and belted his second longball of the night, a three-run homer to right. Javier Betancourt added a two-run shot in the eighth and Bernard capped his night with a two-out single in the ninth to plate the Whitecaps' final run.

Following Kubitza's gem, Montreal Robertson (7) labored through three innings and allowed four runs on six hits but picked up the save.

Brent Powers (4-4) suffered the loss for Lansing. The left-hander was charged with six runs - three earned - on nine hits over five innings.

The Whitecaps continue their seven-game road trip on Friday night with a 7:05 p.m. first pitch against the Lansing Lugnuts. RHP Jon Maciel (5-5, 3.69) is scheduled to pitch for West Michigan against RHP Chase De Jong (0-6, 4.79) of Lansing. The next home game at Fifth Third Ballpark is a Dime Dog Night on Tuesday, August 12 at 7:00 p.m. 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 August 7, 2014


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