Velazquez's Career Night Drives Captains to 9-1 Win over River Bandits

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MWL Lake County Captains

Velazquez's Career Night Drives Captains to 9-1 Win over River Bandits

May 8, 2025 - Midwest League (MWL)
Lake County Captains News Release


EASTLAKE, Ohio - In the third game of a scheduled six-game series, the Lake County Captains (16-14) defeated the Quad Cities River Bandits (20-9) by a final score of 9-1 on Thursday night at Classic Auto Group Park in Eastlake.

Captains 1B Ralphy Velazquez, MLB Pipeline 's No. 5 Cleveland prospect, spearheaded Lake County's offense with a career night at the plate. The 19-year-old went 3-for-4 with a career-high two doubles (tied), a triple, and a career-high five RBI, totaling a career-high three extra-base hits.

Velazquez opened the game's scoring with a two-out RBI double in the bottom of the first inning. Then, in his next at-bat, the left-handed hitter pounded his second consecutive RBI double two frames later, advancing to third on an ensuing fielding error. Finally, in his fourth and final at-bat of the night, he cleared the bases with a three-run triple in the home half of the seventh inning. This final hit marked Velazquez's first-ever High-A triple, and second of his career.

After combining to score just one run in their previous three games, Lake County plated nine runs on Thursday night, including four runs in both the third and seventh innings.

Three of the first four Captains reached base on doubles in the bottom of the third inning. Two batters after 2B Christian Knapczyk led off the half-frame with a double, DH Alfonsin Rosario, MLB Pipeline 's No. 25 Cleveland prospect, ripped an RBI ground-rule double down the left-field line. Velazquez then hit his second RBI double in the following at-bat.

RF Wuilfredo Antunez added an RBI single two batters later, and C Jacob Cozart, MLB Pipeline 's No. 15 Cleveland prospect, scored on a passed ball soon after.

Then, each of the first five Lake County batters reached base to start the bottom of the seventh inning. This stretch was concluded by Velazquez's three-run triple and an RBI single from Cozart.

Lake County pitching also excelled on Thursday night, holding the River Bandits to one run and issuing just one walk.

LHP Josh Hartle (W, 2-1), MLB Pipeline's No. 22 Cleveland prospect, earned his second consecutive win. The southpaw tied career-highs with five innings of work and six strikeouts, while allowing no runs and no walks. RHP Yorman Gómez (S, 2) secured his second straight four-inning save, allowing just two hits, one earned run, and one walk, while throwing a season-high seven strikeouts.

The fourth game of this week's scheduled six-game series between the Captains and River Bandits is scheduled for Friday night at 6:35 p.m. It will be Picantes Night at the ballpark, where Lake County will suit up as its Copa de la Diversión alter ego, Los Picantes de Lake County.

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 totaled three extra-base hits and five RBI on Thursday night. The 2023 first-round pick out of Huntington Beach High School (CA) became the first Captains hitter to reach these marks in a game since OF Joe Lampe on May 23, 2023 at West Michigan.

- RHP Yorman Gómez tallied his second consecutive four-inning save on Thursday night. The 22-year-old Coro, Venezuela native has a 1.13 ERA, two saves, eight strikeouts to two walks, a 0.88 WHIP, and a .161 opposing batting average in his first two appearances to begin the month of May.

- INF Christian Knapczyk went 2-for-4 with a single and a double on Thursday night, recording his fifth two-hit performance in six games to begin the month of May. The 2023 fifth-round pick out of Louisville leads the Midwest League with a .435 batting average, and is tied for the league lead with 10 hits so far this month.

Check out the Lake County Captains Statistics



Midwest League Stories from May 8, 2025


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