Lake County Sentinel
Captains win back and forth, extra inning affair 9-8
BY TIM SHIRER
CAPTAINS BEAT WRITER
(EASTLAKE, OH) - The Lake County Captains and Beloit Snappers played game two of their three game series. The Captains eventually won the back and forth affair where the lead changed, or the game was tied seven times, 9-8.
Beloit snapped at the Captains first in the first inning with two runs off starter Gregori Vasquez. One of the two runs was earned as Vasquez allowed three hits in the inning, including a double. A throwing error by Captains shortstop Ernie Clement allowed the second run to score and give Beloit the early 2-0 lead.
The Captains came back with a single run in the bottom of the first inning. With one out in the inning Austen Wade drew a base on balls. Wade then stole second base, his fifth of the season. Then with Jorma Rodriguez still batting, Snappers starting pitcher Ivan Andueza uncorked a wild pitch and Wade moved third base. Once again with Rodriguez still at the plate Andueza threw his second wild pitch of the inning and Wade scored the Captains first run of the game to cut the lead in half at 2-1.
Beloit extended their lead back to two runs when Jack Meggs belted a solo home run over the right field fence and give the Snappers a 3-1 advantage. The home run for Meggs was his first of the season.
The Captains countered in the bottom the frame with three runs to take a 4-3 lead. The first two runs came when Will Benson singled and two batters later Jose Vincente hit his second home run of the season over the center field wall to tie the game at 3-3. The lead came when Tyler Friis singled and then Ernie Clement doubled to the wall, driving home Friis to give the Captains the advantage.
The Captains extended the lead to 5-3 in the third inning when Rodriguez reached on a single and then rode home on a double by Nolan Jones. Unfortunately, Jones was thrown out at third base trying to stretch the double into a triple.
The two-run lead was short lived as Meggs singled with one out in the fourth inning and then Miguel Mercedes drove Meggs home when he blasted his first run of the season into the left field bleachers to tie the game 5-5.
Lake County retook the lead in the bottom of the fourth inning when Clement singled with one out and scored on a double by Rodriguez. The double was Rodriguez’s third of the season and 14th RBI and gave the Captains a 6-5 advantage.
Once again, the Captains lead did not last long as the Snapper scored two runs in the top of the fifth inning to regain the lead at 7-6. Vasquez did not survive the inning for Lake County and was replaced with men on second and third and one out by Skylar Arias. Arias proceeded to allow the two runners he inherited to score, as he issued a base on balls, a single and after retiring a batter he issued a second base on balls which plated the Snappers seventh run.
It took a few innings, but the Captains re-took the lead in the eighth inning. With one out in the inning Friis singled. With Clement at the plate Beloit reliever Mitchell Jordan threw a wild pitch and Friis moved to second. Jordan then walked Clement to put runners on first and second. Jordan was then replaced by Heath Bowers. Bowers came in and got Wade to fly out, the runners held. Then the white hot Jorma Rodriguez smacked a double to center field and both Friis and Clement scored. The RBI by Rodriguez were his 15th and 16th and gave Lake County a temporary 8-7 lead.
Once again, the Snapper did not go away as they plated the tying run in the top of the ninth inning when Manual Alverez entered the game on the mound for Lake County and did not have much success as Logan Farrar singled to lead off the inning. He then issued a base on balls to Skyler Weber. Jesus Lopez then put down a sac bunt, Farrar was retired at third and Weber moved to second. Meggs then singled to left field and Weber scored the tying run.
The Captains finally won the game in the bottom of the tenth inning when the “Rob Manfred Runner” Tyler Friis scored from third base on a passed ball by Weber to end the game and give the Captains the 9-8 win.
Kyle Nelson picked up the win for Lake County with one and two thirds innings of relief. He allowed just one hit and issued a base on balls with three strike outs. With the win Nelson improves to 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA. The loser for the Snappers was Ty Damron. Damron was a victim of the “Rob Manfred Runner” falling to 0-1 with a 2.00 ERA.
While offense was the story of the game with 29 hits between the two teams (Beloit 16, Lake County 13) Captains manager Luke Carlin wanted it mentioned that Oscar Gonzalez’s play in left field probably saved a couple of runs. Rodriguez led the offensive show going 4 for 5 with two double and two RBI. Rodriguez is now hitting .384, which is second in the Midwest League.
The Captains and Snappers will finish the series on Sunday afternoon at 1:30 p.m. Righthander Bryce Conley will be on the mound for the Snappers. Conley is 1-2 with a 5.32 ERA. Francisco Perez will make the start for the Captains. Perez, a lefty is 1-1 with a 7.00 ERA..
tshirer@lakecountysentinel.com or follow Tim on Twitter @IndiansTim Check out our IndiansNation fan Page
POSTED 05/05/2018 22:23
Photo by Phillip Goth
Captains second baseman Jorma Rodriguez.