Whitecaps hold off Lugnuts, 7-6

COMSTOCK PARK, Mich. – T.J. Schofield-Sam crushed his first home run of the year, but the West Michigan Whitecaps (19-12) rallied past the Lansing Lugnuts (18-13), 7-6, on Friday night at LMCU Ballpark.

The Whitecaps retook sole possession of first place in the Midwest League’s East Division with the win.

The Lugnuts had not allowed a home run in their last nine games, but Max Clark homered on Grant Judkins’ first pitch and Jack Penney followed with a solo shot for an immediate 2-0 lead.

The ‘Caps added tallies in the second and third innings to go up 4-0, but Lansing countered with a Cole Conn three-run double in the fourth, and a Nate Nankil RBI double and T.J. Schofield-Sam RBI single to put the Lugnuts up, 5-4, in the fifth.

The lead lasted only until the home half of the fifth. An Izaac Pacheco RBI double tied the score and a Brett Callahan sacrifice fly gave the Whitecaps a 6-5 lead.

An inning later, Josue Briceño homered to right off Tom Reisinger for a vital insurance run.

Facing Marco Jiménez in the eighth, Schofield-Sam smashed a home run into the Whitecaps’ bullpen, pulling the Lugnuts back within a run. Jared Dickey followed with a double and Rodney Green, Jr. drew a walk to put the potential tying and go-ahead runs aboard.

But Micah Ashman set down Cole Conn and Sahid Valenzuela to squash the rally and then pitched a perfect ninth to secure the West Michigan win.

In the loss, Joshua Kuroda-Grauer, Dickey and Schofield-Sam each finished with a pair of hits.

Right-hander Yunior Tur starts the fifth game in the six-game series, set for 2:05 p.m. on Saturday. West Michigan counters with right-hander Max Alba.

The next Lansing Lugnuts homestand arrives May 13-18 vs. South Bend. Tickets are available at the stadium box office, (517) 485-4500 or online at milb.com/lansing.

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