Life on the edge pays off
June 13, 2005 - Midwest League (MWL1)
West Michigan Whitecaps News Release
COMSTOCK PARK - West Michigan refused to lose Monday against Lansing and used rallies in the ninth, tenth and twelfth to defeat the Lugnuts, 4-3 in 12 innings.
Lansing took a 2-0 lead with a run in the top of the ninth thanks to an error that prolonged the inning. But West Michigan rallied for two runs with two out in the bottom of the ninth for the tie.
Luis Sabino hit a 2-2 pitch to the right-centerfield gap for an RBI double, which cut the lead to 2-1. Two batters later, Sabino scored on a bloop single to left center by Dusty Ryan.
Pinch hitter Wilkin Ramirez was out by inches at first on a ground ball to end the ninth. Ramirez' appearance extended his games played streak.
He is the only Whitecap to appear in every game this season. He is 2-for-3 as a pinch hitter.
In the tenth, Lansing scored to reclaim the lead, 3-2 on a sacrifice fly by Christian Snavely after Cory Patton led off the inning with a double.
The Whitecaps came from behind a second time in the bottom of the tenth thanks to a lead off single by Justin Justice. He crossed the plate to tie the game when a two-out pop-up by Nick McIntyre was dropped by Lansing second baseman Jason Armstrong.
In the bottom of the twelfth, another Lansing error won the game for the Whitecaps as Justice scored again when Steve Young hit a ground ball that went through the legs of first baseman David Hicks then into right field.
The late-inning action overshadowed excellent outings by both starting pitchers. Josh Rainwater went 8.2 innings for the Whitecaps and allowed two runs, one earned with no walks and five strikeouts. Rainwater would likely have finished the ninth had a one-out error not been committed, which opened the door for the second Lansing run.
Lugnuts starter Kyle Yates threw eight shutout innings, allowed four hits, no walks and struck out eight.
Ian Ostlund earned the victory for West Michigan by retiring all four batters he faced in the eleventh and twelfth.
West Michigan improves to 5-3 in extra innings this season, including a 4-0 mark at home.
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