McDonald's Three Home Runs, Outmuscles Lugnuts over Captains

(EASTLAKE, OH) - The Lake County Captains (38-34) allowed ten runs on 15 hits to the Lansing Lugnuts (26-46) who would dominate from start to finish and take the game by a 10-3 score line on a sunny Thursday evening at Classic Park.

Jarred McDonald wasted no time launching a two-run blast in the first inning to put Lansing in front. This would be the first of three home runs launched by the Arizona native tonight. The other two coming in the third and fifth innings. He would finish 3-4 with a walk, and seven RBIs.

Captain’s starter Mason Hickman would be pulled after four innings. The Vanderbilt product would end his night with five runs allowed on five hits across four innings of work. Hickman would add four strikeouts to his total in the loss.

In the fourth inning, already trailing 5-0, Lake County’s Johnathan Rodriguez would muscle a ball over the batter’s eye in center field. That solo home run would be the left fielder’s sixth of the season.

Lansing’s starter Joey Estes would end his day after a scoreless fifth inning. The 2019 sixth-round draft pick would give up just the lone run on three hits on his night.

Following an additional run added on the top of the 7th via a single for the Lugnuts. Joe Naranjo would provide the final runs for Lake County in the eighth. He would hit home run number 12 on the year to bring the Captains within six, trailing 9-3.

Lansing would tack on an additional run in the 9th inning with a Drew Swift RBI single. The Lugnuts would win by a final score of 10-3.

The Captains would pitch all three of their left-handed arms in the bullpen tonight (Jaime Arias, Raymond Burgos, Matt Turner) in the loss.

Lake County will kick off the weekend with game number four in the series against Lansing tomorrow Friday, July 1 with first pitch at 7:00pm. It is Military Appreciation Night as well as Friday Fireworks presented by Meijer.

Coverage of the game can be found on WJCU.org/Captains and the MiLB First Pitch app.