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MWL1 Lake County Captains

Six-Run Third Inning Propels Captains

April 18, 2018 - Midwest League (MWL1)
Lake County Captains News Release


(Lansing, MI) - After three days without baseball, the Lake County Captains' (5-5) offense had a lot of firepower bottled up and they unleashed it in the third inning on Tuesday. The Captains scored six runs on eight consecutive hits in the third, en route to a 7-2 win over the Lansing Lugnuts (6-4) in the series opener at Cooley Law School Stadium.

The Captains and Lugnuts had not played since Friday. Both teams had their games postponed on Saturday and Sunday and Monday was a league-wide off day. Coming off of an extra-long rest, both teams were scoreless through the first two innings when the Captains exploded against Lansing starter Maverik Buffo. Ernie Clement, Austen Wade and Nolan Jones began the inning with three straight singles to load the bases before Oscar Gonzalez knocked in two with a single through the right side.

Will Benson came up next and drilled a deep drive off the base of the right-centerfield wall to plate Jones and make it 3-0, but Benson raced toward third while Gonzalez stopped on the third base bag. Benson was out at third base, but the inning continued. Jose Vicente rocked an RBI triple to the gap in right-center and later scored on a wild pitch to give the Captains a 5-0 lead.

Ulysses Cantu singled next to give the Captains seven consecutive hits and chase Buffo from the game. Lake County, however, still rallied against right-handed reliever Andy Ravel. Jorma Rodriguez doubled to put two runners in scoring position and Tyler Friis grounded out to score Cantu and cap the rally with the Captains on top, 6-0.

Lansing responded with one run in the third. With starter Eli Morgan on the hill for the Captains, Samad Taylor singled into the shortstop hole and Kacy Clemens worked a walk. With two outs, Kevin Smith knocked in Taylor with a single to cut the Captains' lead to 6-1.

Both pitching staffs held serve for the next five innings, but the Captains scratched across an insurance run in the ninth. Jones reached to lead off the inning on an error by Cullen Large at third base and Gonzalez made that error hurt. Gonzalez slammed a double to left field that plated Jones to give Lake County a 7-1 lead. Large redeemed his error at the plate in the bottom of the ninth with a solo homer to right against Captains reliever Jonathan Teaney.

Domingo Jimenez picked up the win for Lake County. Jimenez (2-0) pitched three shutout innings in relief of Morgan. Pitching from the fourth through the sixth, Jimenez held the Lugnuts hitless, walking two and striking out four.

Buffo (0-1) took the loss. The Lansing starter lasted 2.1 innings and allowed six runs on nine hits. He struck out one and walked two.

The Captains take on the Lugnuts again on Wednesday in the second game of a three-game series. First pitch at Cooley Law School Stadium 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.

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