LocalSportsJournal.com

COMSTOCK PARK– A West Michigan Whitecaps dominant pitching performance carried them to a 3-0 shutout victory over the Beloit Sky Carp on School Kids Day in front of 7,476 fans Friday morning at LMCU Ballpark.

Whitecaps starter and Tigers No. 15 prospect Wilmer Flores secured his first win, tossing five innings of scoreless baseball with six strikeouts as ‘Caps pitchers combined to punch out 14 Beloit batters in their first shutout victory since April 16 against Lansing.

Wenceel Perez lifted a sacrifice fly in the first inning, putting the ‘Caps on top 1-0.

Flores shut down the Sky Carp through five frames, only allowing four Beloit hitters to reach base as Ulrich Bojarski roped an RBI-double in the fifth inning before Trei Cruz plated Bojarski to increase the lead to 3-0.

The Sky Carp managed to load the bases with one out in the sixth inning before Gabe Sequeira struck out back-to-back Beloit hitters to tight rope out of trouble.

With the bases loaded against the Whitecaps again in the seventh, Gio Arriera struck out Tevin Mitchell to avoid disaster and maintain the 3-0 advantage.

The Sky Carp didn’t manage a hit the remainder of the game as Andrew Magno sealed the deal with a pair of strikeouts in the ninth, sending West Michigan to the 3-0 win.

Flores (1-0) secured his first win as Magno picked up his second save this season.

Beloit starting pitcher Dax Fulton (0-3) suffered his third loss, tossing 4.1 innings while allowing all three runs to cross in the defeat.

The Whitecaps improve to 13-18 as the Sky Carp fall to 9-22. The Whitecaps notched their first win while scoring three runs or less, snapping an 11-game winless streak before today. In addition, the Whitecaps secured their first victory this year against a left-handed starter.

UP NEXT

The West Michigan Whitecaps have reached the penultimate game of this six-game series against the Beloit Sky Carp, and proceedings will commence from LMCU Ballpark Saturday at 6:35 pm.

Righty Carlos Guzman is scheduled to pitch for West Michigan against Beloit’s Evan Fitterer.

Broadcast coverage with Dan Hasty and Nate Wangler starts on the Whitecaps Baseball Network at 6:20 pm. Get your tickets for all 2022 home games now at www.whitecapsbaseball.com.