Captains extend win streak to four with 6-3 win over Snappers

(EASTLAKE, OH) - The Lake County Captains and Beloit Snappers played game three of their six game series on Thursday night at Classic Park. The Captains entered the game as the second playoff team in the High-A Central. The Captains used the long ball to extend their win streak to four games with a 6-3 win.

The Snappers got on the board first in the top of the fourth inning after JD Orr reached on a drop third strike Victor Victor Mesa singled to right field moving Orr to third base and Mesa moved to second on the throw. Connor Scott then reached on a fielder’s choice ground ball to Captain’s first baseman Joe Naranjo. Naranjo threw home and catcher Mike Amditis tagged out Orr for the first out of the inning, Mesa moved to third on the play. Mesa scored one batter later when Bennett Hosteler singled to center field. Captains’ starter Zach Draper was able to escape the inning with no further damage and kept the deficit at 1-0.

The Captains came right back in the bottom of the inning of Snapper’s starter M.D. Johnson. The inning began with Mike Amditis flying out. Raynel Delgado’s who had a pinch-hit homer on Wednesday afternoon to lead the Captains to an 8-6 win homer again, his seventh of the season to tie the game 1-1. Johnson then hit Julian Escobedo with a pitch. Snappers’ catcher Jan Mercado was then charged with a passed ball with Christian Cairo at the plate moving Escobedo to second. Cairo drew a base on balls putting two men on for Jose Tena. The Captain’s shortstop did what he has been doing all season and came through in the clutch by smacking a double to center field driving home Escobedo giving Lake County a 2-1 lead, Cairo ended up at third base. Finally, Jhonkensy Noel poked a single off the second baseman’s glove sending Cairo home to extend the lead to 3-1.

Beloit tied the game in the top of the sixth inning when Draper allowed a pair of doubles to Scott and Troy Johnston and hit Hostetler with a pitch. The double by Johnston drove in both runs and ended Draper’s night with game tied 3-3.

The Captains regained the lead in the bottom of the inning when Escobedo drove a leadoff single to over second base and then rode home when Cairo belted his third home run of the season over the left field wall onto the grassy knoll giving the Captains a 5-3 win.

The Captains extended the lead to 6-3 when Jose Tena hit a two run home deep over the center field fence. The long ball was Tena’s 16th of the season.

Andrew Misiaszek picked up the win for Lake County. With the win he improves to 1-0 with a 5.91 ERA. Cade Smith picked up the save which was his first of the season and kept his ERA at 0.00. Beloit reliever Jackson Rose took the loss. With the loss Rose falls to 2-2 with a 2.93 ERA.

With the win the Captains improve to 64-53 and remain one game ahead of the Great Lakes Loons and tied with the Cedar Rapids Kernels for the final playoff spot. The Captains hold the tie breaker over the Kernels, but do not hold the tie breakers over the Loons.

The Captains and Snappers will play game four on Friday night. Brian Hoeing will be on the mound for the Snappers. Hoeing a righthander is 6-6 with a 4.89 ERA. Hunter Gaddis will be on the hill for the Captains. Gaddis also a righthander I s4-10 with a 4.00 ERA.

tshirer@lakecountysentinel.com or follow Tim on Twitter @TBBucsTim Check out our IndiansNation fan Page

POSTED 09/16/2021 22:53

Lake County Captains Second baseman Raynel Delgado. Photo by Tim Shirer