Captains' eighth walk-off clinches sweep

(Eastlake, OH) - The Lake County Captains (29-38) have had a lot of practice with Gatorade showers. For the eighth time this year and the second time in three days, the Captains won a ballgame in walk-off fashion. On Thursday night at Classic Park, Jesse Berardi hit a 10^th inning single to lift Lake County to a 4-3 win and a three-game sweep of the Lansing Lugnuts (40-27).
The 10^th inning began with Jose Medina on second base as the free runner, per the new extra-innings rule in Minor League Baseball. Lake County played small ball, as Ulysses Cantu dropped down a perfect sacrifice bunt toward third to move Medina up to third base. Lansing brought the infield in and, on a 2-0 pitch from Claudio Custodio, Berardi roped a line drive to left field. Norberto Obeso dove, but the ball landed out of his reach and Medina scored the winning run from third.

Thursday's game began as a pitcher's duel between Captains lefty Kirk McCarty and Lansing right-hander Maverik Buffo. McCarty tossed six innings and allowed just one run on four hits. The southpaw struck out seven, did not issue a walk and hit one batter. Lansing's only run against McCarty came on a solo home run by Matt Morgan in the fourth inning.
Buffo had baffled the Captains over the first three innings, allowing just one hit, but Oscar Gonzalez drove the Captains into the lead, nearly single-handedly. Down 1-0 following Morgan's homer, Gonzalez homered to right in the bottom of the fourth to tie the game. Two innings later, Jose Vicente ripped a two-out double and Gonzalez punched a single into right field to plate Vicente with the go-ahead run.
The Captains added an insurance run in the seventh. Todd Isaacs singled and hustled to second base when Obeso bobbled the ball in left. Isaacs advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored when Joshua Rolette hit a sacrifice fly to centerfield to give Lake County a 3-1 lead. Buffo's night finished after seven innings with just three runs allowed - two earned - on six hits. He struck out five and did not walk a batter.
Lake County carried its two-run lead into the ninth, but that is when Lansing rallied. Brock Lundquist singled with one out against lefty Zack Draper and moved to second on a wild pitch. Yeltsin Gudino followed with an infield single to put runners on the corners. Brandon Grudzielanek came up next and hit a high fly ball down the right field line. Gonzalez appeared to lose track of the ball in the lights. It bounced inside the chalk down in the right field corner and bounced over the wall for a double. Lundquist scored to cut the Captains' lead to one run and the Lugnuts had runners on second and third.
Draper walked Obeso to load the bases and the Captains called on right-hander Dace Kime to face Morgan with one out. Kime, however, walked Morgan to force home Gudino with the tying run. The right-hander fought back, striking out Reggie Pruitt and Kevin Vicuña to end the inning and keep the game tied.
Kime (2-1) came away with the win after Berardi's walk-off knock. The right-hander pitched through the 10^th and tossed 1.2 innings. Kime did not allow a run (the ninth-inning run was charged to Draper), did not surrender a hit, struck out three and walked one.
Custodio (0-2), who also gave up the Captains' walk-off hit on Tuesday, took the loss. The right-hander allowed one run on two hits over 2.1 innings. He struck out one and walked one.
The Captains have swept each of their last two home series and will wrap up the first half with a three-game set against the Bowling Green Hot Rods. The series begins on Friday night at Classic Park. First pitch is scheduled for 7:00 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.