Captains Start Road Trip with a 5-3 Win

(Greensboro, NC) - The Lake County Captains got their eight game road trip off to a good start defeating the Greensboro Grasshoppers 5-3 on Saturday.

The Captains took the lead in the top of the second inning against Grasshoppers starter Graham Johnson when Mark Thompson hit his fifth home run of the season and it was 1-0. The Grasshoppers came right back in the bottom of the inning when Justin Jacobs singled and scored on a double by Torre Langley to tie it at 1-1. The Captains regained the lead in the top of fourth inning when Nate Recknagel singled and then jogged home when Donnie Webb hit his fifth home run of the year to make it 3-1. Johnson had not given up a home run this year prior to this game.

It went to 5-1 in the top of the sixth inning when with the bases loaded, Michael Valadez hit a ground ball to the shortstop who threw to the second baseman to get one out but the relay throw to first got away and that allowed two runs to score. The Hoppers scored a run in the bottom of the sixth inning when Kevin Mattison scored from third base on a wild pitch and it was 5-2. The Hoppers tacked on another run in the bottom of the eighth inning when Ben Lasater hit his fourteenth home run of the year to make it 5-3.

Captains starter T.J. McFarland (5-3) got the win going six innings allowing one run on one hit, walking two and striking out one. Matt Langwell followed McFarland and threw 2.1 innings and allowed one run. Steve Smith pitched a scoreless ninth inning to get his fourteenth save. Johnson (5-2) took the loss pitching 5.1 innings and allowing five runs, four earned, on nine hits while striking out five.

The Captains and Grasshoppers play game two of the series on Sunday at 4:05 PM with the Captains sending RHP Alexander Perez to the mound to face the Hoppers RHP Johnny Dorn (7-5, 3.26). The game can be heard on STAR 97.1 WREO and on the internet at captainsbaseball.com.

The Captains will return home for an eight game home stand on Monday July 13th versus the Asheville Tourists.

The Captains remind fans that tickets for The Bob Dylan Show, featuring John Mellencamp and Willie Nelson, which will take place on July 11, are on sale now. Tickets for the General Admission concert are only $67.75 and kids age 14 and under get in free with a paid adult.

Individual game tickets for all Captains home games are on sale at the Classic Park box office, by phone at 440-954-WINS (9467) or at captainsbaseball.com.

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.