VASQUEZ, 'CAPS PLAY LONGBALL IN COMEBACK WIN

COMSTOCK PARK, MI - The West Michigan Whitecaps blasted three home runs on Friday night, including a go-ahead two-run shot by 18-year-old prospect Danry Vasquez that propelled the 'Caps to a 5-4 win over the Lansing Lugnuts at Fifth Third Ballpark.

West Michigan (4-4) trailed for most of the night, taking their first lead of the game on the clutch home run by Vasquez in the bottom of the eighth inning. The blow dealt Lansing (7-1) their first loss of the season.

Earlier in the evening, solo home runs by Steven Moya and Eugenio Suarez helped the Whitecaps rally from behind to tie the score at 3-3 after five innings of play.

The Lugnuts recaptured the lead in the eighth on a one-out triple by Chris Hawkins and a sacrifice fly by Jon Berti, threatening to hang the 'Caps with a second straight tough loss.

Down 4-3 in the bottom of the eighth, however, West Michigan had other ideas.

Moya drew a four-pitch walk to lead off the inning, capping a 2-for-2 night in which he reached base safely four times and drove in two runs. One out later, Vasquez belted the first pitch he saw over the fence in right-center field to put the Whitecaps ahead for the first time.

Vasquez, the only teenager on the West Michigan roster and the Detroit Tigers' No. 18-rated prospect according to Baseball America, went 3-for-4 to register his second three-hit game of the season.

The Lugnuts did not go down without a fight against Whitecaps' closer Dan Bennett in the ninth. They were down to their last strike when Carlos Perez split the gap in right-center for a two-out triple. With the potential game-tying run standing at third, Bennett bounced back to strike out Kevin Pillar and lock down the save.

The late-game turn of events resulted in a victory for West Michigan's Jade Todd (1-0), while Lansing lefty Tyler Ybarra (0-1) suffered the loss.

The Whitecaps continue their first homestand of the season at Fifth Third Ballpark with the third game of a four-game series against the Lansing Lugnuts at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 14. West Michigan will send RHP Brennan Smith (1-0, 0.00) to the mound opposite RHP Aaron Sanchez (1-0, 0.00) of the Lugnuts. Group and individual tickets can be reserved by calling the Whitecaps front office at 616-784-4131 or visiting www.whitecapsbaseball.com.