Captains falter in wild weather game

(Lansing, MI) - The Lake County Captains (5-6) and Lansing Lugnuts (7-4) had to push up Wednesday's game to 5:05 p.m. to accommodate a mix of wintry weather moving through Michigan, but still wound up playing in everything from rain to sleet to snow at Cooley Law School Stadium. In a game characterized by wild swings in precipitation, the Captains lost to the Lugnuts, 7-2.
Lansing went to work early against Captains starter Juan Hillman . In the first inning, the Lugnuts scored four runs on three hits to take a quick 4-0 lead. After a leadoff walk to Samad Taylor, Taylor stole second and scored the game's first run on a double to right by Kevin Vicuña. Later in the inning, a fielder's choice by Ryan Noda scored Vicuna to make it 2-0 and Kacy Clemens followed with a walk. Two batters later, Brock Lundquist doubled to score both Noda and Clemens, wrapping the four-run frame.

The Lugnuts tacked on two more runs in the second. Hillman hit Reggie Pruitt with a pitch to begin the inning. Taylor came up next and struck out, but reached first on a wild pitch. The Lugnuts later loaded the bases on a walk and Clemens knocked in a pair with a single to give Lansing a 6-0 lead.
The Captains scored both of their runs in the fourth and nearly came all the way back in the inning, but fell just short. Facing Lansing starter Donnie Sellers, Ernie Clement led off with a single and Jorma Rodriguez doubled him home. After Rodriguez stole third, Nolan Jones hit an RBI ground out to shortstop, cutting Lansing's lead to 6-2.
Later in the Captains' half of the fourth, an error and a pair of walks loaded the bases with one out. Ulysses Cantu came to bat as the potential tying run, but Sellers got him to ground into an inning-ending, 6-4-3 double play.
Hillman's night was done after three innings, but Gregori Vasquez held the Lugnuts in check over five relief innings. Lansing scored one more run in the fifth when Ryan Noda led off with an infield single on a ball that took a bad bounce off of Cantu at first. Clemens then tripled to right field, driving home Noda. Outside of that, Vasquez shut the Lugnuts down over five frames to the tune of one run on three hits. Vasquez struck out four and walked one.
Sellers (2-0) picked up the win for the Lugnuts. The Lansing right-hander pitched five innings and allowed two runs on just two hits. Sellers walked three and struck out one.
Hillman (0-2) took the loss for Lake County. The lefty pitched three innings and gave up six runs on four hits. Hillman walked three and struck out three.
Clemens led the offensive charge for Lansing. The Lugnuts' first baseman finished the game 2-for-2 with a game-high three RBI and a run scored. He also walked twice, bringing his Midwest League-leading walk total to 15.
The Captains and Lugnuts have split the first two games of their three-game series. Thursday's rubber game is scheduled to start at 7:05 p.m. at Cooley Law School Stadium.
Information about Classic Park or the Captains can be found online at www.captainsbaseball.com and by phone at 440-954-<st1:stockticker w:st="on">WINS (9467). Affordable ticket packages and group party and picnic options are available now.