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Sunday Runday, Captains Capitalize on the Bases for 8-7 Victory over Kernels

August 28, 2022

(EASTLAKE, OH) - The Lake County Captains (69-49) took advantage of two errors, stealing three bases, and halted a late Cedar Rapids Kernels (69-51) surge to win 8-7 on an 80-degree and sunny Sunday afternoon at Classic Park. With West Michigan losing there game today, Lake County is now three

(EASTLAKE, OH) - The Lake County Captains (69-49) took advantage of two errors, stealing three bases, and halted a late Cedar Rapids Kernels (69-51) surge to win 8-7 on an 80-degree and sunny Sunday afternoon at Classic Park.

With West Michigan losing there game today, Lake County is now three games up in the Midwest League East second-half standings.

Doug Nikhazy had two 30+ pitch innings to begin his start. The left-hander worked out of bases loaded in the first but permitted three runs in the second. Jake Rucker plated two on a two-run triple and Wander Javier knocked home one on a sacrifice fly.

Lake County posted two runs in response in the second. Christian Cairo walked, and Connor Kokx doubled. Korey Holland scored Cairo with a single to left and Micael Ramirez brought home Kokx with a base knock into left-center.

The bases were loaded with no outs in the top of the third, following two Nikhazy walks and an error. Raymond Burgos entered and forced a double play and a strikeout, to limit the damage to just one run.

The Captains would take a lead, with a three-run bottom of the third. Joe Naranjo doubled and Alexfri Planez was hit by a pitch. Christian Cairo then lined a ball to center field that rolled to the wall and score two and ended with Cairo at third, his first triple this season.

In the fourth and fifth, Lake County tacked on three insurance runs to take an 8-4 lead. Joe Naranjo delivered an RBI single in the fourth.

In the fifth, Christian Cairo reached on a fielding error on a groundball to third and moved to second. Cairo scored after a throwing error from the shortstop on a ball hit by Connor Kokx. Kokx would move to second on the error, then steal third, and with two outs Micael Ramirez walked. Ramirez would create a rundown trying to steal second that provided time for Kokx to come home who came across before a tag was applied on Ramirez.

The Kernels were held off the board until the seventh, they would score three. After a 14-pitch 1-2-3 sixth from Zach Hart, the right-hander allowed back-to-back singles and then a two-run homer from Wander Javier, which made it 8-7. Alaska Abney completed the inning, leaving the potential tying runner at first.

Jack DeGroat worked a five-pitch 1-2-3 eighth. In the ninth, despite allowing a runner to reach third, Trey Benton would record the final out and his seventh save to win 8-7.

Following an off-day, the Captains will head to Midland, Michigan to begin a six-game road series with the Great Lakes Loons, on Tuesday, August 30, with first pitch at 7:05 p.m. The Loons hold the best overall record in the Midwest League.

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