Captains take over sole possession of first place with 5-4 win in ten innings

Home

Community Information

Editorial

News Archives

Sports

Lake County Sentinel

Captains take over sole possession of first place with 5-4 win in ten innings

BY TIM SHIRER

CAPTAINS BEAT WRITER

(EASTLAKE, OH) - The Lake County Captains opened a four-game series on Thursday night with the Bowling Green Hot Rods. Special guest Jarvis Landry of the overhyped Cleveland Browns threw out the first pitch. The fans were also treated to a Captains extra innings comeback victory 5-4 sending the 1,456 fans home happy.

The Hot Rods jumped on the Captains early with two runs in the second inning off Captains starter Juan Mota. The second inning was his last inning as he had thrown 40 pitches through the first two innings. Captains manger Luke Carlin said after the game that Mota had developed a blister and there was no reason for him to continue at that point.

Bowling Green added another run in the fourth inning of Captains reliever Skylar Arias.

The Captains came back to tie the game 3-3 in the seventh inning. The inning began when Bowling Green starter Caleb Sampen issued a base on balls to Mitch Reeves. Jesse Berardi then singled to move Reeves to second base. After the next two hitters struck out Miguel Jerez doubled to left field and Reeves and Berardi came home with Lake County’s first two runs. Hosea Nelson then poked a double into right field and Jerez came home to tie the game. Bo Naylor then flew out to center field to end the inning and any further threat.

The Captains then took the lead in the bottom eighth when Will Benson smashed a mammoth blast just in front of the right field indoor batting cage. The home run was Benson’s 8th of the season.

The Hot Rods tied the game in the top of the ninth off Captains reliever Manuel Alvarez. The blown save was Alvarez’s first of the season.

The Captains finally won the game in the bottom of the tenth inning when Connor Smith (the Rob Manfred Runner) started the inning on second base. Smith advanced to third on a wild pitch by Bowling Green reliever Chris Muller and then two pitches later Smith came home with the winning run when Muller uncorked another wild pitch.

Alvarez picked up the win for the Captains. With the win Alvarez improves to 2-1 with a 0.53 ERA. Muller took the loss for the Hot Rods and falls to 0-1 with a 1.96 ERA.

The Captains and Hot Rods will play game two of the series on Friday night at 6:30 p.m. Lefty Shane McClanahan will take the mound for the Hot Rods. McClanahan is 2-2 with a 3.45 ERA. The Captains will counter with their own lefty Raymond Burgos. Burgos is 2-0 with a 3.06 ERA. .