[dropcap]F[/dropcap]our singles were all the Whitecaps could muster offensively Friday night as they suffered a 4-0 shutout loss to the Fort Wayne TinCaps. With the loss, The Whitecaps drop below .500 for the first time since April 10 with a 10-11 record.
The loss marks West Michigan’s seventh loss in their last 10 games.
Coby Cowgill lead the TinCaps (9-11), pitching five shutout innings. He gave up just two infield singles with four strikeouts and one walk. Cowgill threw 42 of his 57 pitches for strikeouts in the outing. Justin Livengood took over on the mound in the sixth inning, retiring all nine batters he faced in three perfect innings.
The TinCaps scored three runs in the top of the fourth with a rally started by Josh VanMeter, who knocked the ball for a one-out double down the left field line. A groundball single by Dustin Peterson drove VanMeter home. Fernando Perez added a run-scoring while Dane Phillips had an RBI-groundout to take a 3-0 lead for Fort Wayne.
West Michigan’s starting pitcher Buck Farmer gave up little following the opening inning. After giving up three runs on three hits, the allowed three more hits and no runs over the next five innings. Farmer struck out seven batters in six innings of work.
The Whitecaps started a late-game rally in the ninth inning, but failed to capitalize. Tayron Guerrero struck out the first two ‘Caps batters of the fram before Javier Bentancourt and Raph Rhymes stepped up to keep the game alive. Dominic Ficociello worked a full-count to load the bases, bringing the tying run to the plate in Ben Verlander.
Verlander was struck out by Guerrero off three pitches, however.
West Michigan and Fort Wayne will meet again Saturday afternoon to continue the ‘Caps seven-game homestand. Austin Kubitza (2-0, 2.35 ERA) will take the mound for the hosts while RHP Walker Weickel (1-3, 7.31 ERA) will start for Fort Wayne.
