(Eastlake, OH) - Oscar Gonzalez provided the dramatics in the opening game of Monday's doubleheader and Will Benson had a banner day at the plate, as the Lake County Captains (17-19) split their twin-bill with the South Bend Cubs (15-19). Gonzalez's walk-off homer won game one for the Captains, 3-2.
(Eastlake, OH) - Oscar Gonzalez provided the dramatics in the opening game of Monday's doubleheader and Will Benson had a banner day at the plate, as the Lake County Captains (17-19) split their twin-bill with the South Bend Cubs (15-19). Gonzalez's walk-off homer won game one for the Captains, 3-2. The Captains lost game two, 11-0, despite a 2-for-3 game by Benson, who also hit his league-leading eighth homer in the opener.
Game one
When Gonzalez came to the plate in the bottom of the seventh inning, Lake County and South Bend had been tied at 2-2 since the third. Cubs reliever Brendan King had pitched a scoreless sixth and struck out the first two men in the seventh. The right-hander was one out away from sending the ballgame to extra innings, but Gonzalez turned around a King delivery and drove it over the wall in left-centerfield to win the ballgame for the Captains. An astonishing four of the Captains' nine wins at home this year have been on walk-offs.
Benson began his big day at the plate by giving the Captains an early lead against South Bend starter Cory Abbott. Leading off the second inning, Benson blasted a home run over the right field wall. The ball landed just under the videoboard for the slugger's league-leading eighth homer of the season, giving the Captains a 1-0 lead.
A long ball flipped the score in the top of the third. After Captains starter Elijah Morgan retired the first two men of the frame, Jhonny Bethencourt kept the inning going with a double and Jared Young followed with a blast over the right field wall. Young's third home run of the season gave the Cubs a 2-1 lead.
Todd Isaacs helped the Captains even the score in the bottom of the third. Isaacs led off with a walk and stole second base. Abbott then tried to pick off Isaacs at second, but the pitcher's throw sailed into centerfield and Isaacs made it up to third base. South Bend pulled the infield in and Tyler Friis delivered with a single through the right side to score Isaacs and knot the score at 2-2.
Morgan did not factor in the decision, but pitched six strong innings. The right-hander allowed two runs on six hits. Morgan struck out six and walked one. Abbott took a no-decision also, pitching five innings and allowing two runs on just two hits. The Cubs' starter struck out seven and walked one.
Manuel Alvarez picked up the win in relief. Alvarez (1-0), the Captains' righty, pitched a one-two-three seventh.
King (1-1) suffered the loss. He pitched 1.2 innings. The only run he gave up was on his only hit allowed: Gonzalez's homer. King struck out two and walked one.
Game two
The Cubs' rout of the Captains began early with a couple of home runs. In the second inning, Brandon Hughes hit a two-run home run with Yeiler Peguero aboard to begin the scoring. The second inning could have produced three runs if not for a fine defensive play in center. Todd Isaacs threw out Nelson Velazquez at home on Peguero's single. Still, the Cubs took a 2-0 lead on Hughes' homer and that lead soon ballooned to 5-0 when Austin Filiere hit a three-run home run in the third. Both homers came against Captains starter Nick Gallagher.
South Bend tacked on six more runs against the Captains' bullpen. Hughes led off the sixth with a double against Dakody Clemmer . Zach Davis singled two batters later and Bethencourt followed with a two-run double to give the Cubs a 7-0 lead. In the seventh, right-hander Jonathan Teaney walked five batters, including Hughes with the bases loaded. Rafael Narea drove home two with a double and, after Skylar Arias entered the game, Bethencourt drove home another run with a sacrifice fly. All of the seventh-inning runs were charged to Teaney and the Cubs took an 11-0 lead.
Benson was the lone bright spot in the game two loss. The Captains' right fielder went 2-for-3, including a double off the left field wall in the seventh. Benson went 3-for-6 in the doubleheader.
Cubs starter Erich Uelmen pitched six shutout innings and earned the win. Uelmen (2-4) allowed just four hits, struck out six and walked one.
Gallagher (0-1) took the loss in his first career start. The right-hander pitched three innings and allowed five runs on six hits, including the two home runs. He struck out three and walked two.
The Captains and Cubs split Monday's doubleheader to open a six-game series, which will take place over four days. Game three is slated to begin at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday night at Classic Park.
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.
