Whitecaps Fall in Controversial Defeat
June 7, 2024 - Midwest League (MWL)
West Michigan Whitecaps News Release
SOUTH BEND, IN - The West Michigan Whitecaps offense went silent before a Brian Kalmer walk-off two-run homer in the tenth inning led to a 4-2 loss to the South Bend Cubs at Four Winds Field in front of 6,452 fans on Friday night.
The contest was not without its share of controversy, with several calls throughout the evening sparking debate. These included a potential home run by first baseman Luke Gold that was ruled to have not cleared the left field wall and a potential hit-by-pitch for outfielder Seth Stephenson that was ruled a foul ball when replays seemed to indicate otherwise.
The game saw early offense as Luke Gold swatted an RBI-double to the left-center field gap, scoring Roberto Campos to give West Michigan a 1-0 lead. A sacrifice fly from Danny Serretti later in the frame extended the lead to 2-0, but Cubs outfielder Felix Stevens opened the bottom of the frame with a solo home run to cut the 'Caps lead to 2-1. The score remained the same until the seventh when a Jefferson Rojas sacrifice fly tied the contest at two. The game traversed into extra innings, and after West Michigan went scoreless in its half of the tenth, Brian Kalmer launched a walk-off two-run homer with one out in the bottom half to end the contest and even the series at two wins apiece.
The Whitecaps drop to 29-26, and three games back of first-place Lake County, while the Cubs improve to 24-31. South Bend reliever Jose Romero (3-1) delivered two scoreless high-leverage innings while striking out four to earn his third win, while 'Caps reliever Chris Mauloni (1-2) suffered his second loss. Luke Gold was a bright spot on an otherwise quiet day for the West Michigan offense, going 2-for-3 with two doubles and an RBI in a losing cause. The Whitecaps did not record a base hit after Gold's second double of the night in the fourth inning.
UP NEXT
The Whitecaps play the penultimate game of this series against the South Bend Cubs from Four Winds Field on Saturday at 7:05 pm. Pitchers Carlos Marcano and Nick Hull get the starts for West Michigan and South Bend. To catch all the action, tune into the broadcast coverage with Dan Hasty on the Whitecaps Baseball Network at 6:50 pm on 106.1 FM ' The Ticket ' and 1340 WJRW-AM in Grand Rapids. Don't miss out on the excitement; get your tickets for all 2024 home contests, or listen to the games live at whitecapsbaseball.com.
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