Ninth-Inning Lead Slips Away, 'Caps Lose in 11
Published on June 27, 2011 under Midwest League (MWL1)
West Michigan Whitecaps News Release
COMSTOCK PARK, MI - The West Michigan Whitecaps let a two-run lead in the ninth inning slip away on Monday night, falling by a 4-2 score after 11 innings of play against the South Bend Silver Hawks at Fifth Third Ballpark.
West Michigan (2-2, 34-39) and South Bend (2-2, 36-37) are opening up the second half of the Midwest League season with six straight games. They have split the first four, with the Whitecaps taking two of three on the road over the weekend before the Silver Hawks fought back for the opener of a three-game series in West Michigan.
The first eight innings of Monday's contest was marked by great pitching and a series of thrilling plays at the plate. The Whitecaps emerged with a 2-0 lead as starter Kevin Eichhorn carried a three-hit shutout into the ninth inning.
Eichhorn fell short of his bid for a complete game after the first three batters of the ninth inning reached safely. Chris Jarrett laid down a perfect bunt-single to the right side, Gerson Montilla lined a single to right-center, and Ender Inciarte drew a walk to chase Eichhorn from the game.
Closer Bruce Rondon came in with the bags packed, nobody out, and little margin for error. He induced a run-scoring groundout and a pop-out to foul ground, leaving runners at second and third with two outs and the lead at 2-1. After intentionally walking Midwest League home-run leader Yazy Arbelo to load the bases, Rondon then hit Matt Helm on the first pitch of the next at-bat to force in the game-tying run.
With the game tied 2-2, both teams missed out on run-scoring opportunities in the 10th inning before South Bend pushed across the game-winning runs in the 11th.
Arbelo broke the tie with a solo homer off reliever Logan Hoch. Helm then drew a walk, stole second and eventually scored on a sacrifice fly for the decisive 4-2 advantage.
Blake Cooper (1-2) earned the victory with three scoreless relief innings for the Silver Hawks while Hoch (0-1) allowed two runs in the 11th to suffer the loss.
The late flurry of action provided a dramatic turn of events.
Eichhorn was ultimately left with a no-decision, charged with two runs on five hits over eight innings. He faced the minimum through six innings and needed just 81 pitches to get through his first eight frames before South Bend got to him in the ninth.
The Whitecaps gave him a lead on an exciting sequence of three consecutive plays at the plate in the bottom of the seventh. Nick Castellanos was at second with one out when Ryan Hamme sent a flare-single to center, but Inciarte gunned down the runner at the plate to preserve the scoreless tie. Hamme took second on the throw, putting him in position to score when Jeff Rowland followed with a line-drive single to right. The relay throw to the dish beat Hamme, but the hard -charging baserunner barreled through catcher Raywilly Gomez and jarred the ball loose to score the game's first run.
One batter later, Luis Sanz singled to left and Rowland scored from second as Gomez could not handle the throw from left fielder Roberto Rodriguez. After the three straight plays at the plate, West Michigan took a 2-0 lead.
The Whitecaps continue a six-game homestand at Fifth Third Ballpark on Tuesday afternoon with a 12:00 p.m. game against the South Bend Silver Hawks. LHP Kyle Ryan (4-5, 3.55) is scheduled to take the mound for West Michigan against LHP David Holmberg (7-3, 2.61) of South Bend. All-you-can-eat hot dogs, fries, chips 'n cheese and Pepsi products will be available on a Fat Tuesday, while ticket discounts will be offered for those 50 and over on a Silver Slugger Day and anybody with a KRAFT Singles wrapper on a KRAFT Singles Tuesday. Group and individual tickets can be reserved by calling the Whitecaps front office at 616-784-4131 or visiting whitecapsbaseball.com.
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