Captains bats aid in 8-2 win over Snappers

(EASTLAKE, OH) - On Tuesday night the Lake County Captains opened their final series of the season against the Beloit Snappers at Classic Park. The Captains sent crowd of 2,129 home happy winning the opener 8-2.

The Snappers struck first off Captains starter Kevin Coulter in the first inning. Coulter a righthander issued a base on balls to JD Orr to start the game. Coulter then gave up single to Victor Victor Mesa and Connor Scott. Orr scored on the Scott single giving the Snappers a 1-0 lead. Coulter settled down and didn’t allow any further damage in the inning.

The Captains struck right back in the bottom of the inning when hard hitting Christian Cairo doubled to right field. Jose Tena then grounded out and moved Cairo to third base. Jhonkensy Noel followed with a ground out and Cairo scored tying the game 1-1.

The Captains took the lead with three runs in the second inning off Snapper’s starter Josh Simpson. Simpson, a lefty issued a base on balls to Micah Pries to start the inning. Mike Amditis then reached on a fielding error by Snapper’s second baseman and Pries moved to second base. Simpson then issued another base on balls this time to Aaron Bracho to load the bags. After a mound visit by Snappers pitching coach Bruce Walton Simpson got Julian Escobedo to ground into what looked like a possible double play, but the only out the Snapper got was Bracho who was retired at second base. Pries scored on the play to give the Captains a 2-1 lead. The big blow in the inning came next when Cairo blasted his second doubled of the night, this time to center field and Amditis trotted home with the Captains third run. The final run of the inning came next when Simpson uncorked a wild pitch sending Escobedo home giving Lake County a 4-1 lead.

The Snappers closed to within two runs in the top of the sixth inning off Coulter, it was his final inning. The Snappers run came when Coulter put a pitch right in the wheelhouse of Jan Mercado and he planted it over the right field fence on to the grass for his second homer of the season cutting the lead to 4-2.

The Captains turned the game into a blow out in the bottom of the inning with four runs. Raul Brito replaced Simpson on the mound to start the inning for the Snappers. His night did not get off to a smooth start as Jonathan Rodriguez reached on a throwing error by the Snappers shortstop. Brito followed that by hitting Joe Naranjo with a pitch to put men on first and second. Pries then made Brito’s night even worse when he smacked his sixth home run of the season deep over the center field fence to extend the lead to 7-2. Amditis followed Pries with his fourth homer of the campaign to cement the Captains lead at six 8-2.

Coulter went six innings allowing two runs, both earned on eight hits. He issued one base on balls and struck out seven to earn the win. With the win he improves to 9-4 with a 5.10 ERA. Simpson took the loss for the Snappers going five innings allowing four runs, three earned. He allowed three hits issued three base on balls, hit one Captains batter and struck out nine. With the loss Simpson falls to 0-2 with a 5.61 ERA.

The Captains moved to within one game of the final High-A Central playoff spot, They are now tied with the Great Lakes Loons (technically though because of tie breakers which the Loons hold they are one game behind) and one game behind the Cedar Rapids Kernels.

The Captains and Snappers will play game two of the series on Wednesday afternoon at 12 p.m. Lefty Dax Fulton will take the mound for the Snappers. Fulton is 0-1 with a 3.00 ERA. The captains will send Tanner Burns to the hill. Burns, a righthander is 2-5 with a 3.64 ERA.

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POSTED 09/14/2021 22:07

Lake County Captains pitcher Kevin Coulter. Photo by Tim Shirer