Lake County’s Early 10-Run Explosion Anchors 13-6 Win Over TinCaps

EASTLAKE, OH – The Lake County Captains (36-24) scored six runs in the bottom of the second, and four more in the bottom of the third to fuel a 13-6 win over the Fort Wayne TinCaps (26-34) on Thursday night at Classic Auto Group Park.

The Captains tallied 15 hits, reaching the mark for the sixth time this year. Eight of nine Lake County batters hit safely, and all nine reached base. CF Guy Lipscomb went 3-for-3 with one walk, one RBI and two runs scored, while LF Jonah Advincula went 3-for-5 with two doubles and two runs scored.

The Captains batted around for the fifth time this season in the bottom of the second inning. RF Justin Boyd plated Advincula with a force out, and SS Alex Mooney, MLB Pipeline’s No. 20 Cleveland prospect, hit a sacrifice fly. Then, with two outs, DH Cooper Ingle roped a two-run single, and 1B Maick Collado cleared the bases with a two-run double.

One inning later, 2B Tyresse Turner walloped a three-run home run, and Lipscomb hit a sacrifice fly to give Lake County and LHP Matt Wilkinson (ND) a lead after three frames.

After Wilkinson retired nine of the first 10 TinCaps batters he faced, Fort Wayne 2B Nerwilian Cedeño led off the top of the fourth with a solo home run. After SS Jay Beshears, MLB Pipeline’s No. 27 San Diego prospect, singled, 3B Devin Ortiz hit a two-run shot.

Wilkinson then set down three of the next four TinCaps batters to conclude his fourth High-A start. The left-hander pitched four innings, allowing four hits, career-highs of three earned runs (tied) and two home runs, and one walk, while throwing three strikeouts in 68 pitches (40 strikes).

Beshears brought home the next two Fort Wayne runs, hitting his first High-A homer to begin the top of the sixth, and roping a two-run double in the top of the seventh, from which he advanced to third on a throwing error. Lake County answered in the bottom half of the inning, when Mooney hit an RBI infield single to third base that scored Advincula. Boyd also scored on a throwing error by Ortiz on the play.

The TinCaps and Captains both scored one more run when Fort Wayne 1B Anthony Vilar slugged a solo home run on the first pitch of the top of the eighth, and Lake County C Johnny Tincher hit into an RBI force out in the bottom half of the inning.

Captains RHP Allan Hernández pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning to give Lake County a 2-1 series lead. The right-hander pitched the final two frames for the Captains, allowing one run on two hits, while striking out three and walking one. RHP Juan Zapata (1-5) earned the win in relief, fanning five while allowing two hits, two earned runs, and three walks in three innings of work.

First pitch for the fourth game of this week’s scheduled six-game series between the Captains and TinCaps is scheduled for Friday night at 7 p.m. It will be Hockey Night at the ballpark, where the team will wear special edition Cleveland Lumberjacks-themed jerseys, which will be auctioned off online. Lake County will also host its first Friday Night Fireworks of the season, as well as Faith Night.

The game will be broadcast on both the Bally Live app and MiLB.TV, with social media coverage courtesy of @LCCaptains on both X and Instagram.

Notes To Know

- LHP Matt Wilkinson extended his Minor League lead to 99 strikeouts in just 59.1 innings of work across Single-A Lynchburg and Lake County this season. The left-hander has now thrown 102 strikeouts in his professional career.

- INF Tyresse Turner hit his third home run of the season, all of which have come against the Fort Wayne TinCaps. His three-run shot on Thursday night was his first home run since his solo blast on Sunday, April 14 at Fort Wayne.

- OF Jonah Advincula hit a career-high two doubles en route to the second three-hit game of his professional career, both of which have come with Lake County this year. He also tallied three hits on April 25 at West Michigan.

- The Captains tied their season-high with 13 runs on Thursday night. Lake County also scored 13 runs on May 19 in a 13-9 win at Lansing in 10 innings.

The Lake County Captains are the High-A Affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians, and have been a Class A Affiliate of Cleveland since the team was founded in 2003. To find out more information about the Captains or purchase tickets, visit CaptainsBaseball.com, or call (440) 975-8085.