MWL1 West Michigan Whitecaps

Plagman Powers \'Caps To 9-2 Win

Published on July 9, 2010 under Midwest League (MWL1)
West Michigan Whitecaps News Release


SOUTH BEND, IN - Something about getaway day in South Bend brings the best out of the West Michigan Whitecaps.

After closing out their last series at Stanley Coveleski Regional Stadium with a 15-3 win on June 30, the West Michigan Whitecaps snapped a six-game losing streak and avoided a series sweep on Friday night with a 9-2 win over the South Bend Silver Hawks.

West Michigan (4-11, 30-54) got three RBI apiece from Tony Plagman and Wade Gaynor to power the offense, while table-setter Jamie Johnson reached base in four of his five trips to the plate. South Bend (6-9, 36-47) managed just five singles against a trio of Whitecaps hurlers that combined for 11 strikeouts.

For the third straight game, the Whitecaps reached the scoreboard first.

Plagman led off the top of the second by slicing a single down the left field line and Clay Jones followed with a walk. The runners were at the corners with one away when Hernan Perez lined a run-scoring single to right-center. Jimmy Gulliver added a sacrifice fly as West Michigan grabbed a 2-0 lead.

South Bend cut the lead in half on Bobby Borchering's two-run single in the third, but Gaynor countered with a two-out, run-scoring hit in the fifth that made it a 3-1 game.

Two innings later, the Whitecaps blew the game open.

Gulliver led off the top of the seventh with a single as West Michigan loaded the bases with nobody out, and the Eastern Michigan product scored on a fielder's choice by Gaynor. The big blow was delivered by Tony Plagman, who clubbed a three-run homer with two outs to provide the ‘Caps with a six-run lead. Jones added a double and came around to score on a triple by Rob Brantly, as the Whitecaps' five-run inning put them in front by a comfortable 8-1 advantage.

In the eighth, Johnson doubled and scored on a sacrifice fly by Gaynor for a 9-1 edge. The Silver Hawks pushed across an unearned run in the bottom of the frame to reach the 9-2 final.

Victor Larez (5-7) earned the win with five strong innings of work, striking out seven and allowing one run on four hits. Jordan Pratt chipped in with two perfect innings of relief, while Zach Samuels gave up one hit and one unearned run over the final two frames.

Eric Smith (5-5) suffered the loss for South Bend with an uncharacteristically shaky outing. The Diamondbacks' second-round pick in 2009 was roughed up for six runs on five hits and five walks in 6.2 innings of work.

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