Lake County Wins Wild Opener 5-4

 

Lake County Wins Wild Opener 5-4

 

(Eastlake, OH) - Luigi Rodriguez scored on a wild pitch and the Captains won the game by a final of 5-4. The fourth wild pitch of the night by Lansing pitchers yielded the go ahead run. Lake County has played in 11 opening day games since coming to Eastlake and have a record of 9-2 in those games and have won six straight openers.

Balbino Fuenmayor had two hits including a homerun into the bleachers in left field. The solo shot in the second inning put Lansing ahead by a score of 1-0. The Captains tied it at one in the bottom of the third inning when Robel Garcia raced home to score on a wild pitch. In the third inning the Lugnuts committed two errors, and threw a wild pitch to help the Captains tie the ballgame.

Lansing retook the lead in the fifth inning after the first two hitters of the inning went down on strikes. A double by Emilio Guerrero put a runner in scoring position and, the number nine hitter Ronnie Melendez singled and Guerrero scored. The lead was 2-1 Lugnuts. In the sixth inning, Lansing added two runs and extended the lead to 4-1. The big hit in the inning was a ground rule double by Santiago Nessy, which plated both runs.

The Captains answered right back in the bottom of the sixth with two runs of their own. Luigi Rodriguez led off with a single and later scored on a triple by Eric Haas. Hass came home on a RBI ground out by Jorge Martinez and the score was 4-3 Lansing.

In the seventh, LeVon Washington walked and scored on a single by Rodriguez. That tied the game at 4-4. Rodriguez advanced to third base on the Lugnuts third error of the night and then scampered home to score the game winner.

Luis Dejesus started for the Captains and pitched five and one third inning allowing seven hits, four earned runs, one walk and four strikeouts. Jack Wagoner (1-0) earned the win by twirling one and two thirds of an inning and allowing two hits, and struck out two. Louis Head pitched a scoreless inning, and struck out two. Felix Sterling stuck out the side in the ninth and earned the save.

Javier Avendano started for Lansing and pitched five innings. He allowed two hits and one un-earned run. Avendano walked two and fanned six. Daniel Norris pitched one inning and allowed three earned runs, he walked two and fanned one. Wil Browning (0-1) took the loss after pitching two innings, allowing two hits, one unearned run and walked two.

Lake County's opening weekend continues as the Lugnuts remain in Eastlake on Friday Night. The Captains will send LHP Ryan Merritt (0-0,0.00) to the hill and Lansing will counter with RHP Taylor Cole (0-0,0.00). First pitch is at 6:30 PM.

The Lake County Captains are a Class A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians and play their home games at Classic Park in Eastlake, at the corners of State Route 91 and Vine Street.  For more information on the Captains, please visit the team's official website at www.CaptainsBaseball.com.