Velazquez's Big Night Guides Captains To 7-3 Win Over Whitecaps

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MWL Lake County Captains

Velazquez's Big Night Guides Captains To 7-3 Win Over Whitecaps

April 11, 2025 - Midwest League (MWL)
Lake County Captains News Release


EASTLAKE, Ohio - In the fourth game of a scheduled six-game set, the Lake County Captains (4-3) defeated the West Michigan Whitecaps (5-2) by a final score of 7-3 at Classic Auto Group Park in Eastlake.

Lake County triumphed in large part thanks to the contributions of 1B Ralphy Velazquez, MLB Pipeline's No. 5 Cleveland prospect.

Defensively, with one out in the top of the fifth inning and a West Michigan runner on first base, the 19-year-old made a diving catch and stepped on the first base bag for an inning-ending unassisted double play. This defensive effort helped the Captains maintain a 1-0 lead heading into the home half of the frame.

Velazquez then delivered with his bat in the bottom of the fifth inning, crushing a two-run home run to extend Lake County's advantage to 3-0. But the Garden Grove, California native was not done yet. In his next at-bat two innings later, with the game tied at 3-3, he ripped another two-run shot to give the Captains the lead for good. This marked Velazquez's first career multi-homer game at the High-A level.

Lake County got another pair of insurance runs four batters later, when SS Christian Knapczyk hit a two-run home run of his own to grow the Captains' lead to 7-3. This was the first home run of his High-A career.

The Whitecaps eventually compiled a rally in the top of the ninth inning, putting two runners in scoring position.

DH Archer Brookman hit a leadoff double and C Bennett Lee drew a walk to begin the frame. CF Max Clark, MLB Pipeline's No. 2 Detroit and No. 5 MLB prospect, then grounded into a force out and later advanced to second base on a wild pitch. But Lake County LHP Steven Pérez struck out the final two West Michigan hitters he faced to secure the Captains victory.

RHP Dylan DeLucia (1-1) earned his first professional win with four innings of piggyback relief for Lake County. The 2022 sixth-round pick out of Ole Miss allowed three hits, three runs (one earned), and one walk, while throwing four strikeouts in 72 pitches (48 strikes).

Captains LHP Michael Kennedy (ND), MLB Pipeline's No. 18 Cleveland prospect, also fared very well in his first home start with Lake County. The southpaw pitched four scoreless innings, allowing just two hits and two walks, while throwing four strikeouts in 68 pitches (41 strikes).

Whitecaps RHP Max Alba (0-1) suffered the loss, surrendering both of Velazquez's two-run home runs.

The fifth game of this week's scheduled six-game series between the Captains and Whitecaps is scheduled for Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m. The game will be broadcast on the Bally Sports Live app and MiLB.com, with social media coverage courtesy of @LCCaptains on X and Instagram.

Notes to Know

- 1B/LF Ralphy Velazquez, MLB Pipeline's No. 5 Cleveland prospect, recorded his third multi-homer game of his professional career, and first at the High-A level. The 2023 first-round pick out of Huntington Beach High School (CA) hit two home runs in a game twice as a member of the Single-A Lynchburg Hillcats on April 10, 2024 versus Fredericksburg (WSH) and May 5, 2024 versus Kannapolis (CWS).

- INF Christian Knapczyk hit his first career High-A home run in just his sixth High-A game. The 2023 fifth-round pick out of Louisville hit two homers in 92 games with Single-A Lynchburg last season.

- C Johnny Tincher drove in the game's first run with a two-out RBI single in the bottom of the fourth inning. The 2023 11th-round pick out of Washington has now recorded an RBI in back-to-back games.

- INF Juan Benjamin and OF Alfonsin Rosario, MLB Pipeline's No. 25 Cleveland prospect, both recorded an infield single on Friday night. Both players now currently own a five-game hitting streak.

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