EASTLAKE, Ohio – In the finale of a six-game series, the Lake County Captains (41-31, 4-4) defeated the Fort Wayne TinCaps (32-43, 5-4) by a final score of 6-0 on Sunday afternoon at Classic Auto Group Park in Eastlake.
Lake County set the tone early for the second straight game, scoring six runs over the first four innings and riding the combined efforts of five pitchers to shut out Fort Wayne for the second time in the series.
The long ball was in full force for the Captains in the first inning, as they hit two home runs to take a 3-0 lead. First, SS Dean Curley, MLB Pipeline’s No. 11 Guardians prospect, lined a two-run shot just over the wall in left field for his eighth homer of the season. Two batters later, C Bennett Thompson launched a solo shot onto the banner in left field for his eighth home run of the year.
An inning later, Lake County tacked on another run courtesy of a fielder's choice by CF Jace LaViolette, MLB Pipeline’s No. 6 Guardians prospect, which resulted in his 49th RBI of the season.
The Captains hit their third home run of the game in the third inning, when 2B Welbyn Francisca, MLB Pipeline’s No. 10 Guardians prospect, launched a solo shot to deep left field to make it a 4-0 ballgame. This marked Francisca’s second straight game with a long ball.
The final Lake County run of the day came in the home half of the fourth, which was courtesy of a balk from TinCaps RHP Daison Acosta (ND).
RHP Cam Walty (W, 3-1) earned the win for Lake County, throwing five strikeouts and allowing just one hit in three shutout innings of relief. LHP Jamie Hitt (L, 1-4) suffered the loss for Fort Wayne, allowing four runs (three earned) on six hits, throwing one strikeout and issuing one walk in two innings of work.
After an off day on Monday, June 29, the Captains will begin a six-game road series against the West Michigan Whitecaps. First pitch for the series opener is scheduled for Tuesday night, June 30, at 6:35 p.m. from LMCU Ballpark in Comstock Park, Michigan. The game 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
- 1B/OF Nolan Schubart, MLB Pipeline's No. 28 Guardians prospect, extended his on-base streak to 32 games with a double and a hit-by-pitch on Sunday afternoon. The 2025 third-round pick out of Oklahoma State is batting .310 with 35 hits, 30 runs, six doubles, one triple, nine home runs, 31 RBI, 31 walks, a .459 on-base percentage, and a 1.085 OPS during this span. This marks the third-longest single-season on-base streak by a Captain since at least 2005.
- INF Dean Curley reached base five times with a two-run home run, three walks, and a hit-by-pitch on Sunday afternoon. The 2025 second-round pick out of Tennessee leads MiLB with 75 walks in just 60 games played this season.
- LHP Donovan Zsak pitched a scoreless inning out of the bullpen on Sunday afternoon. The 2024 eighth-round pick out of Rutgers owns a 0.63 ERA in his last nine relief appearances, surrendering just one earned run in 14.1 innings pitched during this span.
- INF Welbyn Francisca went 2-for-3 at the plate with a solo home run on Sunday afternoon. The 20-year-old batted .313 with five hits, two home runs, six RBI, three walks, and two stolen bases in five games played during this week’s series versus Fort Wayne.
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.