(Midland, MI) - In the first two games of their series at Dow Diamond, the Lake County Captains (26-37) had come dangerously close to coming from behind, but could not overtake the Great Lakes Loons (21-40). On Sunday, however, the Captains came back and captured a 5-4 victory in 10
(Midland, MI) - In the first two games of their series at Dow Diamond, the Lake County Captains (26-37) had come dangerously close to coming from behind, but could not overtake the Great Lakes Loons (21-40). On Sunday, however, the Captains came back and captured a 5-4 victory in 10 innings.
Lake County trailed 4-2 heading to the seventh inning and had not put a run on the board since the first. Loons reliever Melvin Jimenez gave the Captains life by hitting Ulysses Cantu to lead off the inning and Jose Medina followed with a single to put runners on first and second with nobody out. Tyler Friis came up next and singled to plate Cantu and cut the Captains' deficit to 4-3. Lake County's rallied stalled with a double play ball and a ground out that stranded Medina on third, but the Captains started up again in the eighth.
Jonathan Laureano singled with one out in the eighth, putting the tying run on first. Jimenez retired Will Benson on a fly out for the second out, but Jose Vicente came through in the clutch. Vicente roped a line drive to the gap in left-centerfield. Laureano raced home and scored all the way from first as Vicente cruised into second with a game-tying double.
The Captains' pitching staff had to skirt danger in the bottom of the eighth. Lefty Skylar Arias painted himself into a corner by hitting Jared Walker, walking Romer Cuadrado and hitting Eric Peterson. The bases were loaded with one out, but Arias struck out Mitchell Hansen for out number two and the Captains made a call to the bullpen. Right-hander Dace Kime entered to face the right-handed batter Garrett Hope. Kime struck out Hope on a check swing for the final out of the eighth and the game remained tied.
Neither side truly threatened in the ninth, but the Captains took full advantage of the free runner in the 10th. Nolan Jones was placed on second base to begin the inning and Ernie Clement squared off against All-Star right-hander Andre Scrubb. The Captains' shortstop smoked a line drive toward second base. Brandon Montgomery leaped, but the ball tipped off his glove and into the outfield. Jones scored from second to give the Captains a 5-4 lead. Clement was later caught stealing and Scrubb retired the next two Captains, but Lake County had the lead going to the bottom of the 10th.
The Captains called on their own All-Star reliever to shut the game down. The lefty Kyle Nelson entered, but of course, the Loons had the tying run on second with Montgomery serving as the free runner. Nelson responded by striking out Walker swinging, Carlos Rincon looking and Cuadrado swinging in order to end the ballgame. The southpaw picked up his third save, as the Captains stole game three of the series.
Great Lakes built an early lead in the ballgame, but it was the Captains who struck first. In the opening frame, Clement singled homer Friis and a fielder's choice by Laureano scored Jones to give Lake County a 2-0 lead against right-hander Edwin Uceta.
The Loons answered with three runs against Juan Hillman . After Brayan Morales worked a leadoff walk and Montgomery singled, Walker hit a hot-shot to first. Laureano fired the ball to second to force out Montgomery, but the return throw to first tipped off of Hillman's glove as he went to cover the bag. Morales scored on the error. Rincon then worked a walk and Peterson singled two batters later to bring home Walker and tie the score. With runners on the corners, Peterson took off for second and when the throw went through, Rincon took home to put the Loons up, 3-2. Great Lakes added a run in the third on an RBI single by Cuadrado that scored Montgomery.
Kime (1-0) earned his first victory since April 12, 2016. The right-hander retired all four men he faced. After he struck out Hope to leave the bags full in the eighth, he set the side down in order in the ninth.
Scrubb (3-1) suffered his first loss of the season. The right-hander pitched the ninth and 10th innings and allowed one unearned run on two hits with no walks and no strikeouts.
Prior to Sunday, the Captains had lost the last five meetings against Great Lakes. Lake County will now have a chance to split this four-game series with on Monday. First pitch at Dow Diamond is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.
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.
