COMSTOCK PARK, MI – West Michigan Whitecaps starter Austin Bergner enjoyed a career night as Austin Murr extended his hit streak in a 10-5 victory over the Great Lakes Loons in front of 4,806 fans Thursday night at LMCU Ballpark.
Bergner notched a career-high nine strikeouts through five innings of work while allowing two runs in his fourth win on the season. Meanwhile, Austin Murr extended his hitting streak to 16 games, finishing 3-for-5 with a double, an RBI, and two runs scored. In addition, Murr is hitting .439 over his last 16 games.
The Whitecaps scored first in the third inning as Murr roped an RBI-single to make 1-0. West Michigan increased their lead in the following inning as Wenceel Perez scored Jake Holton before Eliezer Alfonzo plated Perez on a line drive to extend the ‘Caps lead to 3-0. The Loons responded in the fifth as Ryan January blasted a two-run homer before Rey Rivera crushed a solo bomb in the sixth, 4-2.
Great Lakes added another run in the top half of the seventh before West Michigan exploded for three tallies in the bottom half – highlighted by an Alfonzo RBI double – increasing the Whitecaps lead to 7-3. Zac Ching added a two-run shot in the eighth, but it was too late as the ‘Caps piled on three insurance tallies before Zack Hess slammed the door in the ninth to secure the Whitecaps victory.
Bergner (4-0) notches his fourth win as Logan Boyer (0-5) tossed three innings while allowing one run on two hits in his fifth loss this season. The Whitecaps improve to 55-56 as the Loons fall to 60-51 on the year. The Whitecaps have won 10 of their last 14 and sit just four wins away from 2,000 franchise victories. Rivera is just three home runs away from tying the most in a single season by a Whitecap, initially set by Kelly Hunt with 21 in 2004.
UP NEXT
The Whitecaps play the Friday night version of this six-game series to conclude the 2021 home schedule from LMCU Ballpark at 7:05 pm. West Michigan sends pitcher Brendan White to the mound against Great Lakes righty Jesus Vargas. Broadcast coverage with Dan Hasty starts on the Whitecaps Baseball Network at 6:50 pm. Get your tickets for all 2021 home games now at www.whitecapsbaseball.com.
