LocalSportsJournal.com
After playing a marathon 15-inning, six-hour game the night before, the West Michigan Whitecaps stumbled to an 8-5 loss on Saturday in the opener of a three-game series against 
Burlington at Fifth Third Ballpark.
Burlington scored in each of the first three innings to grab a 5-0 lead over the Whitecaps, who are now 51-42-1 on the season. 
West Michigan tried to come back, beginning in the sixth inning. Will Maddox had an RBI single, then Leonardo Laffita added a two-run single, to make the score 5-3.
Burlington added insurance runs in both the eighth and ninth innings to extend the lead to 8-3.
In the bottom of the ninth Maddox doubled in Cam Gibson and Derek Hill to make the score 8-5, but West Michigan couldn’t get any closer.
The Whitecaps are now 12-14 in the second half, good for fourth place in the Midwest League Eastern Division, four games behind first-place Bowling Green.
Maddox and Hill each led West Michigan with two hits. Maddox also had three RBIs.
West Michigan will continue its series with Burlington at 1 p.m. on Sunday at Fifth Third Ballpark.
