COMSTOCK PARK, MI - The West Michigan Whitecaps relied on three home runs and accumulated 17 base hits in an impressive 12-2 series-opening victory over the Fort Wayne TinCaps Monday night at Fifth Third Ballpark.The Whitecaps greeted Fort Wayne starter Reggie Lawson with two runs in the first inning by
COMSTOCK PARK, MI - The West Michigan Whitecaps relied on three home runs and accumulated 17 base hits in an impressive 12-2 series-opening victory over the Fort Wayne TinCaps Monday night at Fifth Third Ballpark.
The Whitecaps greeted Fort Wayne starter Reggie Lawson with two runs in the first inning by way of a Cole Bauml two-run single and a quick 2-0 lead. Lawson, making his Midwest League debut, could not finish the second inning as the 'Caps plated eight runs. RBI-singles by Cam Gibson and Blaise Salter made the score 4-0 in favor of the Whitecaps. Josh Lester belted a three-run home run on the first pitch thrown by Fort Wayne reliever Nick Monroe onto the roof of the Pioneer State Mutual Insurance Deck in right field. After a Bauml double and Danny Pinero walk, Anthony Pereira slammed a line-drive three run home run as part of seven hits in the inning and a commanding 10-0 advantage.
Cam Gibson brought the lead to 11-0 and topped off the power binge in the third inning with his team leading seventh home run of 2017. The three homers represented the most by a 'Caps team at Fifth Third Ballpark since April 13, 2012, and provided the 11-0 edge. The 'Caps squeezed out one last run in the seventh inning on Salter's second RBI of the night-a single which scored Danny Woodrow and increased the 'Caps route to 12-0. Fort Wayne added a Nate Easley RBI-double in the eighth and a ninth inning Marcus Greene Jr. ground ball RBI-single to close out the scoring at 12-2.
Anthony Pereira enjoyed a career-high four hit performance and Gibson recorded three hits as the 'Caps accumulated the most hits in a game in 2017. Spenser Watkins, making the Whitecaps start for the first time since being assigned to West Michigan from the Lakeland Flying Tigers, pitched brilliant baseball. Watkins (2-1) scattered three singles, two walks and mixed in four strike outs for the victory as West Michigan won their third straight game, 23rd in the last 29 games and a season-best 29-14 overall record. Lawson (0-1) suffered the loss for Fort Wayne as the defeat represented the fifth in the last six games and dropped the TinCaps to 17-27 in 2017.
UP NEXT
This four-game series between the Whitecaps and Fort Wayne TinCaps continues Tuesday night at 6:35p.m. Pitcher Eudis Idrogo makes the start for the Whitecaps to face TinCaps lefty Logan Allen. Broadcast coverage with Dan Hasty and Mike Coleman begins on the Whitecaps Baseball Network at 6:25p.m. Tickets can be reserved for any Whitecaps 2017 home contest by calling the Whitecaps front office at 616-784-4131 or by visiting www.whitecapsbaseball.com.
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