Captains walk-off in pitching masterpiece

(Eastlake, OH) - Juan Hillman and Gregori Vasquez may not have gotten the glory in the Lake County Captains' (8-8) walk-off win over the West Michigan Whitecaps (11-4) on Monday, but the victory could not have happened without them. Hillman and Vasquez combined to hold West Michigan to three hits and one unearned run, allowing the Captains' offense to orchestrate a dramatic ninth-inning comeback. Down 1-0 in the ninth, Lake County rallied to win on a walk-off passed ball, 2-1.
The ninth-inning rally began with Austen Wade . Facing the lefty reliever Max Green, Wade worked the count to 3-0 to start the inning. Wade initially thought he had walked on both the 3-0 and 3-1 pitches, but ultimately grounded a 3-2 pitch past the diving first baseman Jordan Pearce for a leadoff single. After Wade's single, right-hander John Hayes came in from the bullpen.

Hayes got Ulysses Cantu to pop out to right for the first out, but Todd Isaacs followed with a ground ball single through the shortstop hole. With runners on first and second, Tyler Friis delivered the big hit. The switch-hitter, batting left-handed, served a line drive to the gap in left-centerfield. Wade scored easily from second base and Friis cruised into second with a game-tying double.
The Captains had Isaacs 90 feet away, representing the winning run and Friis on second with one out. West Michigan opted to load the bases by intentionally walking Ernie Clement to face Nolan Jones . On the first pitch to Jones, however, Hayes delivered a pitch outside and catcher Joey Morgan watched as the ball tipped off his glove and skidded toward the third base dugout. Isaacs trotted home from third with the winning run for the Captains' second walk-off victory of the season.
Long before the Captains' comeback, Hillman set the tone on the mound. The left-hander worked around a leadoff double in the first inning to hold the Whitecaps scoreless. In the second, West Michigan plated a run without tallying a hit. Hillman walked Pearce to lead off the frame and then threw a pick-off attempt away, allowing Pearce to move to third. Later in the inning, Ignacio Valdez hit an RBI ground out to third that brought home Pearce.
Hillman breezed through the next three innings. The left-hander worked perfect third and fourth innings that included a string of four straight strikeouts. He then worked around a leadoff walk in the fifth and stranded a runner on second. Though he did not factor in the decision, Hillman pitched five innings and allowed just one unearned run on one hit. He walked two batters, hit one and struck out six.
Vasquez (1-0) took home the win for Lake County. The right-hander pitched the final four innings without surrendering a run. He walked one, gave up two hits and struck out five, but his biggest moment came in the top of the ninth. With the Captains trailing, 1-0, Vasquez danced out of serious trouble.
Zac Shepherd worked a leadoff walk and Colby Bortles followed with a double to put runners on second and third. The Captains pulled the infield in, but Vasquez struck out Pearce swinging and then got Morgan to hit a check-swing roller in front of home plate that the pitcher took care of for the second out. Valdez then grounded to Jones at third to end the inning and keep the Captains down by just one.
Hayes (0-2) suffered his second loss and second blown save of the year. The right-hander recorded one out in the ninth inning and allowed one unearned run on two hits. He walked one intentionally and did not record a strikeout.
The Captains defeated West Michigan in the opener of their four-game series and will face the Whitecaps again on Tuesday night. First pitch at Classic Park is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
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.