‘Caps Cruise After Eight-Run First, 10-3
LANSING, MI – The West Michigan Whitecaps scored a season-high eight runs in the first inning and coasted to a 10-3 win over the Lansing Lugnuts, securing a series win at Jackson Field in front of 3,859 fans on Sunday afternoon. The first frame saw West Michigan send 14 batters
LANSING, MI – The West Michigan Whitecaps scored a season-high eight runs in the first inning and coasted to a 10-3 win over the Lansing Lugnuts, securing a series win at Jackson Field in front of 3,859 fans on Sunday afternoon.
The first frame saw West Michigan send 14 batters to the plate, collecting six walks and four base hits and was highlighted by a two-run double from Josh Crouch and a two-run single from Max Anderson. The eight runs broke the previous single-inning 2024 run record of seven, last set in West Michigan’s series-opening 15-9 win over the Lugnuts last Tuesday.
The first inning opened with a wild pitch from ‘Nuts starter Will Johnson that plated Seth Stephenson before a run-scoring single by Luke Gold. A bases-loaded walk by Danny Serretti chased Johnston from the game, and Crouch greeted reliever Garrett Irvin with his two-run double to extend the lead to 5-0. As the lineup turned over and the inning continued, Stephenson was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, and Anderson dropped his two-run single to cap the ‘Caps biggest inning of the season. In the fifth, Lansing plated their first run on a solo homer from Cameron Masterman and added another tally in the following frame on a run-scoring single from Danny Bautista Jr. In the eighth, Roberto Campos highlighted a two-run inning with an RBI-single to help West Michigan leave Lansing with three straight victories and a hold on first place in the Midwest League Eastern Division in the second half’s early stages.
The Whitecaps have won seven of nine games to begin the second half, sitting at 7-2 and jumping over .500 at 38-37, while the Lugnuts fall to 34-40 overall and 2-7 in the back half of 2024. Pitcher Joe Miller started for the ‘Caps and tossed four scoreless innings before reliever Chris Mauloni (3-2) threw two innings in earning his third win of the season, while Johnson (2-3) managed to retire only one batter while giving up six runs in suffering his third loss of the season. Every single Whitecaps player reached base safely at least once in the victory and was led by Anderson, who reached base five times for the second time in the series with two singles, two walks, two runs scored, two RBI, and a double to lead the Whitecaps to a series win, four games to two in Lansing.
UP NEXT
The Whitecaps return home to celebrate the Fourth of July with a three-game, home-and-home series from LMCU Ballpark against the Great Lakes Loons beginning Monday at 6:35 pm. Pitcher Carlos Marcano gets the start for the Whitecaps against Jose Rodriguez for Great Lakes. Tune into the broadcast coverage with Nate Wangler on the Whitecaps Baseball Network at 6:20 pm on 106.1 FM ‘The Ticket’ and 1340 WJRW-AM in Grand Rapids to catch all the action. Don’t miss out on the excitement; get your tickets for all 2024 home contests, or listen to the games live at whitecapsbaseball.com.