COMSTOCK PARK, MI – For the second straight day, the West Michigan Whitecaps got a huge lift from their pitching staff as they squeaked past the first-place Lake County Captains 4-3 in comeback fashion Tuesday night at LMCU Ballpark.
The ‘Caps pen dominated through the last four innings as Sam Kessler, Zack Hess, and Ruben Garcia combined to allow just one run on two hits and five punchouts to slam the door on the Captains and secure the win.
Lake County struck first, plating a pair of runs through the first two frames as José Tena and Will Brennan drove in runs to jump out to a 2-0 advantage. The Whitecaps began their comeback surge in the fourth in adding a pair of tallies before Andre Lipcius broke a 2-2 tie with a two-run double to extend the lead to 4-2. Captains outfielder and former Michigan Wolverine Jonathan Englemann halved the Whitecaps lead in the sixth with an RBI-double, but the West Michigan bullpen held Lake County scoreless through the ensuing three frames to close the book on a 4-3 victory to bring the Whitecaps back to an even 9-9 record.
West Michigan starter Chance Kirby (1-1) allowed a pair of runs on three hits in his first 2021 victory. Captains starting pitcher Hunter Gaddis (1-2) tossed four innings, allowing three runs on seven strikeouts in his second defeat this season. The Whitecaps improve to 9-9 while the captains drop to 11-8. With his 1-for-3 performance today, Louisiana State University standout and 2020 second-round draft pick Daniel “Tiger” Cabrera extended his hitting streak to nine games.
UP NEXT
The Whitecaps continue this six-game series with the Lake County Captains at LMCU Ballpark on Wednesday at 6:35 pm. The Whitecaps send reigning High-A Central Pitcher of the Week Beau Brieske to the mound against the Captains Logan Allen. Broadcast coverage with Dan Hasty and Nate Wangler begins on the Whitecaps Baseball Network at 6:20 pm. A limited number of tickets are available for select Whitecaps 2021 home contests by calling the Whitecaps front office at 616-784-4131 or visiting www.whitecapsbaseball.com.
