West Michigan's Five-Run Stretch Defeats Captains, 8-4

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West Michigan's Five-Run Stretch Defeats Captains, 8-4

June 27, 2025 - Midwest League (MWL)
Lake County Captains News Release


EASTLAKE, Ohio - In the fourth game of a scheduled six-game series, the Lake County Captains (3-4, 38-35) fell to the West Michigan Whitecaps (6-1, 50-22) by a final score of 8-4 on Friday night at Classic Auto Group Park in Eastlake.

With the game tied 3-3 after four innings, a five-run stretch from the Whitecaps across the fifth, sixth, and seventh frames proved to be the difference in the game.

In the top of the fifth inning, West Michigan SS Kevin McGonigle, MLB Pipeline 's No. 2 Tigers and No. 22 MLB prospect, hit a go-ahead solo home run on a two-out, 0-2 pitch. This marked the third home run allowed by Captains LHP Matt Wilkinson (L, 2-8), who also permitted back-to-back, two-out homers an inning prior.

Wilkinson suffered his eighth loss of the season, allowing six hits, four earned runs, and two walks, while throwing three strikeouts in 4.2 innings of work.

The Whitecaps made it a 6-4 game in the top of the sixth when CF Seth Stephenson reached on a bases-loaded fielding error by Captains SS Kyle Dernedde.

West Michigan then sent nine batters to the plate in the following frame, adding its final three runs of the night. The Whitecaps began the seventh inning with four consecutive singles off Lake County RHP Jesus Luna, the last two of which from 3B Johnny Peck and LF Austin Murr drove in runs. Luna then issued a bases-loaded walk to West Michigan RF Patrick Lee three batters later, which made it an 8-3 contest.

The Captains scored the game's final run in the home half of the seventh, when 3B Juan Benjamin scored on a wild pitch. However, with runners on second and third, DH Johnny Tincher struck out swinging to end a potential Lake County rally.

Captains 2B Christian Knapczyk drove in two of Lake County's first three runs of the night.

The left-handed hitter put the game's first run on the board with an opposite-field solo home run in the bottom of the third inning, his sixth homer of the year. He then hit a two-out RBI double the following inning to tie the game at 3-3. With a leadoff single in the home half of the first inning as well, Knapczyk ultimately finished a triple shy of the first cycle in Captains history.

RHP Preston Howey (W, 5-1) earned the win for the Whitecaps, allowing just one hit and throwing a strikeout in two scoreless innings of relief.

The fifth game of this week's scheduled six-game series between the Captains and Whitecaps is scheduled for Saturday night at 7 p.m. It NEO Wrestling Night & Beer Fest at the ballpark. 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

- INF Christian Knapczyk recorded his second 3-for-5, two-RBI performance in as many nights on Friday. The 2023 fifth-round pick out of Louisville ranks third in the Midwest League with a .380 batting average over his last 12 games (since June 12), hitting safely in 11 of them.

- OF Wuilfredo Antunez went 2-for-4 with a pair of singles on Friday night. The reigning Midwest League Player of the Week ranks second in the Midwest League in OPS (1.145), slugging percentage (.712), and extra-base hits (nine) over his last 13 games, hitting safely in 12 of them.

- 1B/LF Ralphy Velazquez tallied his 26 th extra-base hit of the season with a double on Friday night. The 2023 first-round pick out of Huntington Beach HS (CA) is one of just four Midwest League players with at least 26 extra-base hits and 40 RBI this season.

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