EASTLAKE, Ohio – In the finale of a six-game series, the Lake County Captains (7-8) fell to the Fort Wayne TinCaps (6-9) by a final score of 9-6 on Sunday afternoon at Classic Auto Group Park in Eastlake.
For the second time in the series, a big inning proved to be pivotal for the TinCaps. Fort Wayne tagged Lake County for six runs in the seventh frame to take a lead they would never relinquish.
The TinCaps jumped on top early with two runs in the first, highlighted by an RBI single from 2B Rosman Verdugo.
The Captains struck back for one run in the bottom half of the inning behind a pair of two-out singles before LF Aaron Walton, MLB Pipeline’s No. 18 Guardians prospect, scampered home on a passed ball to make it 2-1.
The two sides would exchange scoreless innings until the bottom of the sixth, as Lake County took a 3-2 lead with a two-run homer from CF Jace LaViolette, MLB Pipeline’s No. 8 Guardians prospect.
That was the only time the Captains led, however, as the TinCaps scored six runs in the seventh inning on six hits. This included a three-run home run from RF Kavares Tears, MLB Pipeline’s No. 27 Padres prospect. Another Fort Wayne home run in the following frame from CF Jake Cunningham gave the visitors a 9-3 advantage and their largest lead of the game.
But Lake County made things interesting in the home half of the eighth.
SS Dean Curley, MLB Pipeline’s No. 13 Guardians prospect, connected on a two-run triple to center. Two batters later, a wild pitch allowed him to score, cutting the Captains’ deficit to three.
In the ninth, Lake County found themselves with the bases loaded and brought the winning run to the plate with two outs. But TinCaps LHP CJ Widger (S, 1) struck out Curley to secure the victory.
LHP Franklin Gómez (ND) did not record a decision in his first home start as a Captain, settling in after Fort Wayne’s two-run first inning. The portsider allowed two runs (one earned) on five hits with one walk, striking out five and retiring the final eight Fort Wayne batters he faced.
RHP Tucker Musgrove (W, 2-0; BS, 1) earned his second win of the series for the TinCaps, giving up two runs on two hits and a walk in an inning of work.
LHP Michael Kennedy (L, 2-1) suffered the loss for Lake County, surrendering six runs on six hits and a walk, while striking out one in two innings out of the Captains bullpen.
Widger earned the save for Fort Wayne with a scoreless ninth inning of relief, striking out two.
After an off day on Monday, the Captains will begin a scheduled six-game road series against the West Michigan Whitecaps on Tuesday night, April 21, at 6:35 p.m. from LMCU Ballpark in Comstock Park, Michigan. The series will be broadcast on the Bally Sports Live App, the MiLB App, and StreamGuys, with social media coverage courtesy of @LCCaptains on X and Instagram.
NOTES TO KNOW
- OF Aaron Walton reached base three times with a single and a pair of walks on Sunday afternoon. The 66th overall pick of the 2025 MLB Draft out of Arizona tied the Midwest League lead in on-base percentage (.650) and ranked second in the league in batting average (.533; 8-for-15) during this week’s series.
- INF Dean Curley extended his hitting and on-base streaks to eight games with a two-run triple on Sunday afternoon. The 2025 second-round pick out of Tennessee is batting .323 with 10 hits, 10 runs, eight walks, and a 1.023 OPS during this span.
- C Bennett Thompson drew a walk and singled on Sunday afternoon to extend his on-base streak to 10 games to begin the season. The 2024 13th-round pick out of Oregon leads the Midwest League in on-base percentage (.558) and walks (15) this year.
- OF Jaison Chourio, MLB Pipeline’s No. 11 Guardians prospect, tied the Midwest League lead with nine hits during this week’s series. The 20-year-old batted .474 with two home runs, three RBI, and a 1.289 OPS during this span.
About the Lake County Captains:
The Lake County Captains are the professional High-A Affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians located in Eastlake, Ohio. Our mission is to honor the rich history of our organization, while also introducing baseball to a new generation of fans through innovative means. We are committed to supporting our community, sports teams, and each other by demonstrating passion and having fun every day.