Captains bludgeoned by Loons 14-4

(EASTLAKE, OH) - The Lake County Captains won in exciting walk off fashion on Tuesday night 4-3 sending the Great Lakes Loons home losers. Wednesday night game was nothing like the first game in the series as the Loons played bully all night bludgeoning the Captains 14-4.

Eddys Leonard led off the game with a home run. Leonard loves Classic Park. In seven games in 2002 entering tonight’s game Leonard was hitting .354 with five doubles, a triple, four home runs, five runs scored and 10 RBI. The home run was Leonard’s 10th of the season, half have come at the expense of Lake County pitchers.

The first inning was just an appetizer for the Loons as they feasted on Captains starter Rodney Boone in the second inning scoring four more runs. The big blow in the inning came when Aldrich De Jongh smacked a two-run home over the right field wall. It was De Jongh’s seventh of the season.

Boone continued to be generous in the third inning when he gave up a lead off solo shot to Jose Ramos. The long ball was Ramos’s 15th of the season giving the Loons a 6-0 lead.

The Captains got on the board in the fourth inning with three runs off Loon’s starter Emmet Sheehan. After Sheehan retired the first two batters in the inning Petey Halpin doubled right field. Gabriel Rodriguez followed with a double driving home Halpin with the Captains first run of the game. Aaron Bracho then reached first base on a fielding error by Loons first baseman Imanol Vargas sending Rodriguez home with the Captains second run. Mike Amditis followed the lead of Halpin and Rodriguez and doubled to left field and Bracho crossed the plate closing the Loons lead to three at 6-3.

The Loons struck right back in the top of the fifth inning with one out Luis Yanel Diaz blasted his second home run of the season with Imanol Vargas on first after single to lead off the inning. The Loon’s lead was not 8-3.

The Captains pulled to within four runs in the bottom of the fifth when Joe Naranjo blasted his 13th home run, a solo shot over the right centerfield wall.

The Loons extended the lead back to nine runs in the seventh inning. The big blow in the inning came when Jorbit Vivas belted a grand slam putting the final nail in the Lake County coffin with the Loons leading 13-4.

The Captains loaded the bases with one out in the eighth inning but could not score as Zac Fascia grounded into a double play to end the threat.

The Loons finished off the scoring in the top of the ninth with another run to build their lead to 14-4.

Sheehan picked up the win for Loons pitching five innings allowing four runs, two earned on six hits and he struck out eight Captains. With the win Sheehan improves to 6-2 with a 3.50 ERA. Boone suffered the loss for Lake County. Boone even though he struggled did get through five innings. He allowed eight runs all earned on 10 hits including four home runs. He also issued three base on balls. With the loss Boone falls to 1-3 with a 6.34 ERA.

The Captains and Loons will play game three of their series on Thursday night at 7 pm. Nick Nastrini will take the mound for the Loons. Nastrini, righthander is 4-3 with a 4.12 ERA. Aaron Davenport will be on the hill for Lake County. Davenports also a righthander is 2-5 with a 5.27..

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POSTED 08/03/2022 22:16

Lake County Captains outfielder Petey Halpin. Photo by Tim Shirer