EASTLAKE, OH – Will McCausland twirled six scoreless innings on 69 pitches, and the Lake County Captains (10-6, 47-33) knocked off the Lansing Lugnuts (4-13, 33-48) for a second straight game, 6-1, on Wednesday evening at Classic Auto Group Park.
The Captains won their fifth straight game and improved to 7-1 vs. Lansing in 2026; all eight games have been played in Lake County.
McCausland, the Guardians’ seventh-round selection in 2025 from Mississippi, had allowed 11 runs on 16 hits in his first 9 1/3 innings in the Midwest League. But he was far sharper on this night, holding Lansing to a walk and four hits (including two singles by Myles Naylor) while striking out five.
The closest the Lugnuts came to scoring was in the top of the sixth. With Rodney Green, Jr. at second base following a double, Ali Camarillo lined a two-out single to right field. Green attempted to score, but Jace LaViolette’s throw hopped in to catcher Tyler Howard in time, with Green called out to end the inning.
Lansing’s only run of the contest came one inning later, thanks to an RBI single from catcher Bryan Arendt plating Jake Reinisch.
The game was notable for the Lugnuts’ all-UNC Wilmington battery of Arendt and starter Zane Taylor, each of whom had been drafted by the A’s in 2025, paired up for the first time in pro baseball. Taylor gave up two runs (one earned) on six hits and three walks in five innings, striking out two, and Arendt threw out Tommy Hawke – left fielder Reinisch’s college teammate at Wake Forest – attempting to steal second in the bottom of the first inning.
Gerlin Rosario followed Taylor and allowed two runs in 1 1/3 innings, striking out one; Ben Hansen gave up a first-pitch home run to LaViolette upon relieving Rosario in the seventh inning before recording the final two outs, one via strikeout. Ryan Brown then allowed one unearned run in the eighth, striking out two.
Lansing turns to right-hander Mitch Myers for the third game of the series, set for 7:05 p.m. Thursday.
The Nuts next return to JacksonⓇ Field™ from July 17-19 for a three-game series against the Fort Wayne Tin Caps. For tickets and more information, call (517) 485-4500 or visit www.milb.com/lansing.
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