COMSTOCK PARK, Mich. — The West Michigan Whitecaps saw dominant pitching and a golden performance from one of their newest players carry them to a 7-0 shutout victory over the Lake County Captains in front of 5,976 fans Wednesday night at LMCU Ballpark.
Whitecaps pitchers combined to allow just two hits while posting nine strikeouts and no walks as Lake County finished 0-for-2 with runners in scoring position. Meanwhile, infielder Luke Gold and outfielder Roberto Campos combined to go 5-for-9 with five RBI, including a two-run home run from Gold in the victory. The shutout marks the 13th time the Whitecaps have blanked an opponent this season – the most in the Midwest League.
The Whitecaps struck in the first inning as Gold collected his first Midwest League home run - a two-run shot - delivering the 'Caps the 2-0 lead. At the same time, 'Caps starter Troy Melton tossed five scoreless innings with five strikeouts to maintain the 2-0 lead. West Michigan added to their advantage with three runs in the fifth on RBI singles from Gold, Gage Workman, and Roberto Campos, extending the lead to 5-0. The Captains failed to record a hit through the next two innings as West Michigan added to their lead with two runs in the seventh highlighted by an RBI single from Austin Murr as the lead ballooned to 7-0. The Captains failed to mount a rally as Whitecaps relievers Connor Holden, and Jack Anderson combined for two scoreless innings with two strikeouts to slam the door on the 7-0 shutout win.
The Whitecaps record improves to 48-49 overall and 16-16 in the second half, while the Captains fall to 46-51 and 15-17 in the second half. Melton (2-1) collects his second win while Captains starter Rodney Boone (6-4) suffers his fourth loss, allowing five runs through 4.2 innings pitched. With the win, the Whitecaps have matched their longest winning streak with four-straight victories. The Whitecaps now sit two games back of first place in the Midwest League Eastern Division.
UP NEXT
The Whitecaps move this six-game series against the Lake County Captains from LMCU Ballpark to Thursday at 6:35 pm. Pitchers Garrett Burhenn and Parker Messick are scheduled to get the starts for West Michigan and Lake County. Broadcast coverage with Dan Hasty [twitter.com] and Nate Wangler [twitter.com] begins on the Whitecaps Baseball Network at 6:20 pm. Get your tickets for all 2023 home games now at www.whitecapsbaseball.com [whitecapsbaseball.com].
