Whitecaps sweep twinbill, 6-4 and 4-1

LANSING, Ind. – A pair of Garrett Pennington three-run homers keyed a West Michigan Whitecaps (8-5) doubleheader sweep of the Lansing Lugnuts (5-7), 6-4 and 4-1, on Friday night at Jackson® Field™.
West Michigan has won the first four games of the six-game series.

In Game 1, Andrew Sojko delivered a two-run single in the first inning, Pennington swatted a three-run shot in the fifth, Lucas Elissalt tossed four scoreless innings of one-hit ball, and the Whitecaps withstood four late runs to take the win.

Lansing center fielder Rodney Green, Jr. went 2-for-3 with an RBI single, triple, and two runs scored in the loss. Starter Samuel Dutton tossed four innings, allowing seven hits, two runs, two walks and three strikeouts.

Pennington wasted no time in Game 2, giving West Michigan a 3-0 lead three batters into the ballgame. Lugnuts starter Zane Taylor found his groove from there, finishing with five innings of three-hit, two-walk, five-K ball.

The Nuts made things interesting in the bottom of the seventh and final inning: Gunner Gouldsmith (3-for-3) singled, Green (2-for-3) singled, and Bobby Boser (1-for-4) singled to load the bases with the game-tying runs and none out.

But Davis Diaz grounded into a force at the plate, Dylan Fien struck out, and Devin Taylor’s sinking line drive was caught by a diving Patrick Lee in right field to turn the Nuts away.

Right-hander Kyle Robinson starts the fifth game of the series, taking on Rayner Castillo at 1:05 p.m. Saturday, a Baseball Brunch. Gates open at 12 noon. For tickets and more information, call (517) 485-4500 or visit www.milb.com/lansing.

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