Whitecaps Hold Off Lugnuts, 5-4
Published on June 6, 2009 under Midwest League (MWL1)
Lansing Lugnuts News Release
LANSING, Mich. - With the tying and winning runs aboard, center fielder Ben Guez caught Mark Sobolewski's line drive and doubled up Brian Van Kirk at second base, securing a 5-4 victory for the West Michigan Whitecaps (34-20) over the Lansing Lugnuts (20-33) before a Saturday night crowd of 5,912 at Oldsmobile Park.
The win was the sixth in eight games for the first place Whitecaps over the Lugnuts, though it did not come easily.
West Michigan scored two runs in the first inning and three more in the second against Lugnuts starter John Anderson (1-4) to build an early 5-1 lead, but Anderson and relievers Dustin Antolin and Hunter Moody held the Whitecaps scoreless after that.
The fine pitching allowed Lansing to chip away at the deficit.
In the fourth inning, Luis Fernandez's RBI double brought the Lugnuts within 5-2. In the seventh, Van Kirk tripled and scored on a Gayhart wild pitch, and Mark Sobolewski added an RBI double later in the frame to reduce the lead to one run.
Brian Van Kirk began the ninth inning with a lead-off walk, only the third walk issued all year by West Michigan closer Tyler Stohr. After Yohermyn Chavez struck out, Justin McClanahan singled to left field. That brought up Sobolewski, who lashed a sinking liner to center field that was corralled by Guez on the dead sprint. Van Kirk had taken off on contact, allowing Guez to easily double him up to end the game.
Despite the final play, Van Kirk put together a fine game. The Lugnuts All-Star left fielder went 3-for-3 with two walks and a run scored. Tyler Pastornicky added two base hits and two stolen bases in the losing cause.
Gayhart (3-2) earned the victory for West Michigan, allowing two runs on four hits in 2 1/3 innings in relief of spot-starter Anthony Shawler. Stohr notched his eighth save of the season.
The Lugnuts and Whitecaps play a doubleheader on Sunday, beginning at 2:05 p.m. at Oldsmobile Park.
All four starters scheduled are right-handed. Lansing's Josh Wells (3-5, 7.44) will start the opener against West Michigan's Brandon Hamilton (2-2, , 6.28), with the Lugnuts' Jonas Cuotto (1-3, 6.00) taking the ball in the second game opposite the Whitecaps' Victor Larez (3-3, 4.54).
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