Schubart Homers in Third Straight Game, Captains Defeat Whitecaps 6-5

EASTLAKE, Ohio – In Game 3 of a six-game series, the Lake County Captains (34-25) defeated the West Michigan Whitecaps (21-39) by a final score of 6-5 on Thursday night at Classic Auto Group Park in Eastlake.

The win for Lake County marks its sixth come-from-behind victory in its last two series and 16th overall this season.

The scoring started quickly and was plentiful in the early innings, as the Whitecaps got on the board in the first inning with an RBI groundout from 3B Clayton Campbell.

The Captains responded just as quickly in the bottom half of the inning, striking for a pair of runs with an RBI double from SS Dean Curley, MLB Pipeline’s No. 11 Guardians prospect, and an RBI single from CF Jace LaViolette, MLB Pipeline’s No. 6 Guardians prospect.

Another two runs would cross the plate for West Michigan in the second inning, as the Whitecaps scored on an RBI double from CF Caleb Shpur and an RBI single from RF Andrew Sojka.

West Michigan would extend its lead in the third, as DH Luke Shliger drove in another with an RBI double, making it a 3-1 ballgame.

Curley came through once more for Lake County in the bottom of the third, blasting his sixth home run of the season to bring the Captains within one.

The Whitecaps, however, continued to keep Lake County at arm's reach, plating another run in the fourth inning on a sacrifice fly from Campbell.

The Captains took the deciding lead of the game in the sixth inning, when 1B Nolan Schubart, MLB Pipeline’s No. 28 prospect, connected on a towering three-run homer to give Lake County a 6-5 lead it never relinquished. The homer marked Schubart’s third straight game with a big fly and his 14th long ball of the year.

RHP Logan McGuire (W, 2-0) earned the win for the Captains with 2.2 scoreless innings out of the bullpen, allowing just one hit and one walk while striking out three.

RHP Preston Howey (L, 0-1; BS, 1) suffered the loss for West Michigan, allowing three runs on four hits in three innings of relief, walking three and striking out one.

LHP Donovan Zsak (S, 2) earned the save for Lake County, striking out three in two perfect innings out of the Captains' bullpen.

Game 4 of this week’s six-game series between the Captains and Whitecaps is scheduled for Friday night, June 12, at 7 p.m. Lake County will celebrate America 250 Weekend at the ballpark, where the Captains will also host their first postgame Fireworks Friday show of the season. The game will be broadcast on the Rock Entertainment Sports Network (RESN), the Bally Sports Live App, the MiLB App, and StreamGuys, with social media coverage courtesy of @LCCaptains on X and Instagram.

NOTES TO KNOW

- INF Dean Curley reached base three times with a solo home run, an RBI double, and a walk on Thursday night. The 2025 second-round pick out of Tennessee ranks second in MiLB with 60 walks and 10th with a .451 on-base percentage this season.

- 2B/OF Tommy Hawke extended his on-base streak to 28 games with a leadoff single on Thursday night. The 2023 sixth-round pick out of Wake Forest is batting .317 (33-for-104) with 30 runs, 34 walks, 17 stolen bases, and a .493 on-base percentage during this span.

- 1B/OF Nolan Schubart extended his on-base streak to 22 games with a three-run home run and a pair of walks on Thursday night. The 2025 3rd-round pick out of Oklahoma State is batting .338 (27-for-80) with four doubles, eight home runs, 28 RBI, and a 1.159 OPS during this span. He also leads the Midwest League with 52 RBI this season.

- LHP Donovan Zsak pitched two perfect innings out of the Lake County bullpen on Thursday night. The 2024 eighth-round pick out of Rutgers owns a 1.13 ERA over his last 10 relief appearances, throwing 22 strikeouts to just eight walks in 16 innings of work.

About the Lake County Captains:

The Lake County Captains are the professional High-A Affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians located in Eastlake, Ohio. Our mission is to honor the rich history of our organization, while also introducing baseball to a new generation of fans through innovative means. We are committed to supporting our community, sports teams, and each other by demonstrating passion and having fun every day.