MWL1 West Michigan Whitecaps

Whitecaps Limited To Four Singles In Loss

April 25, 2014 - Midwest League (MWL1)
West Michigan Whitecaps News Release


COMSTOCK PARK, MI - The West Michigan Whitecaps were stifled offensively on Friday night, limited to just four singles in a 4-0 loss to the Fort Wayne TinCaps at Fifth Third Ballpark.

West Michigan (10-11) lost for the seventh time in their last 10 games to fall below .500 for the first time since April 10. Three Fort Wayne (9-11) pitchers combined on the four-hit shutout, led by starter Coby Cowgill's five scoreless innings.

Cowgill (1-0) dominated his five innings of work, giving up just two infield singles and striking out four without issuing a walk. He allowed only two balls to leave the infield and induced eight groundball outs, throwing 42 of his 57 pitches for strikeouts in an impressively efficient outing.

Reliever Justin Livengood picked up where Cowgill left off in the sixth, retiring all nine of the batters he faced over three perfect innings as Fort Wayne carried a two-hit shutout into the ninth.

Meanwhile, the TinCaps scored all the runs they needed in the top of the first. Josh VanMeter started the rally with a one-out double that dropped inside the left field line. He promptly scored on a groundball single by Dustin Peterson. Following a walk, Fernando Perez added a run-scoring double to left and Dane Phillips contributed an RBI-groundout as Fort Wayne seized a 3-0 lead.

The visitors were fortunate to score those early runs because Whitecaps' starter Buck Farmer gave up little else. After being touched for three runs on three hits in the opening frame, the 23-year-old Georgia Tech product gave up just three hits and no runs over his next five innings. Farmer struck out seven batters in six innings of work, charged with three runs on six hits and three walks in the loss.

West Michigan was down 4-0 before mounting a last-gasp rally in the bottom of the ninth.

After Tayron Guerrero struck out the first two batters of the final frame, the 'Caps got singles from Javier Betancourt and Raph Rhymes to keep the game alive. Dominic Ficociello then worked a full-count walk, loading the bases to bring the potential game-tying run to the plate.

Guerrero bounced back, however, striking out Ben Verlander on three pitches to end the game.

The Whitecaps continue a seven-game homestand at Fifth Third Ballpark with a 1:00 p.m. first pitch against the Fort Wayne TinCaps on Saturday afternoon. RHP Austin Kubitza (2-0, 2.35) is scheduled to pitch for West Michigan against RHP Walker Weickel (1-3, 7.31) of Fort Wayne. Each day of the seven-game "Dollar Days" homestand will feature a different $1 special, including $1 slices of Little Caesars Pizza on Saturday. Season, group and individual tickets can be reserved by calling the Whitecaps' front office at 616-784-4131 or visiting www.whitecapsbaseball.com.

Check out the West Michigan Whitecaps Statistics



Midwest League Stories from April 25, 2014


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