Sports stats



MWL1 Lake County Captains

Medina, Perez Help Captains Snap Skid

June 1, 2018 - Midwest League (MWL1)
Lake County Captains News Release


(South Bend, IN) - It may not have come easy, but the Lake County Captains (22-33) put an end to their six-game losing streak on Friday night with a 5-3 win over the South Bend Cubs (24-29) at Four Winds Field. Jose Medina led the club offensively, going 3-for-3 with a home run and three RBIs. On the mound, Captains starter Francisco Perez tossed six strong innings and Cameron Mingo tight-rope-walked around trouble to close it out.

South Bend struck early, scoring a run in the bottom of the first against Perez. Jhonny Bethencourt roped a one-out triple to the gap in right-centerfield. Jared Young came up next and looped a single down the right field line to bring home Bethencourt, but a great play by Captains second baseman J.J. Berardi nabbed Young. Berardi chased after the floater and inadvertently kicked the ball in the process. Seeing this, Young tried to stretch his single into a double, but Berardi picked up the ball and fired a strike to second base to retire Young.

Lake County answered in the second inning. Cubs starter Erich Uelmen had not allowed a run in 20 consecutive innings, but Oscar Gonzalez and Jose Vicente began the inning with back-to-back singles. Uelmen struck out Berardi and got Ulysses Cantu to ground out, moving both runners into scoring position with two outs. Medina then ended Uelmen's scoreless streak with a two-run single to left that gave the Captains their first lead of the game, 2-1.

The Captains added an insurance run in the fifth. Cantu began the frame with a single and when Medina followed with his second single of the game, Cantu raced to third base. With runners on the corners and nobody out, Todd Isaacs hit a grounder toward Christian Donahue at third base. Donahue fired to second to force out Medina, but that was the only out the Cubs could manage on the play and Cantu scored from third to extend Lake County's lead to 3-1. The Cubs answered in the bottom of the inning, however, when Michael Cruz led off the frame with a solo homer off the base of the videoboard in right-centerfield to trim the Captains' lead to 3-2.

The score held until the eighth inning when Medina and Nolan Jones delivered against reliever Ben Hecht. Medina began the inning by cranking a line drive home run over the right-centerfield wall to push the lead to 4-2. Later in the inning, Tyler Friis worked a walk and Jones slashed a line drive double into the left field corner. Friis scored from first and Jones hustled to third when the throw went home. He was ultimately stranded 90 feet away, but the Captains had expanded their lead to 5-2.

South Bend put together a rally in the ninth that gave the Captains a scare, but Mingo escaped. Young began the inning by smashing a grounder to shortstop. Ernie Clement made a stellar sliding stop on his backhand side and whipped a quick throw to first. His throw, however, pulled Cantu off the bag and the first baseman's tag missed Young who reached with an infield single. After Austin Filiere lined out to left, Miguel Amaya singled and Cruz followed with a single of his own, scoring Young and cutting the Captains' lead to 5-3.

The Cubs had the tying run on base with runners on the corners and just one out. Roberto Caro came in to pinch run for Cruz at first as the potential equalizing run. Mingo then got Nelson Velazquez to hit a weak fly ball to Gonzalez in right for the second out and Donahue followed with a fly out to Medina in left to end the game.

Perez (3-3) picked up the win, going six innings and allowing just two runs on five hits. The lefty struck out five and walked one. Mingo earned his first save. He pitched the final three frames and allowed one run on four hits. The right-hander walked one and fanned two.

Uelmen (3-5) suffered a tough-luck loss. He pitched seven innings and gave up three runs on six hits. Uelmen struck out seven Captains and did not issue a walk.

The Captains ended their six-game losing streak and will try to clinch a series win at South Bend in game two on Saturday. First pitch at Four Winds Field is scheduled for 7:05 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.

Check out the Lake County Captains Statistics



Midwest League Stories from June 1, 2018


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.

OurSports Central