[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he West Michigan Whitecaps’ regular season came to an end with a 3-1 loss to the Great Lakes Loons on Monday afternoon at Fifth Third Ballpark.
With the regular season over, the Whitecaps (41-29, 82-58) can shift their focus to the playoffs.
West Michigan will begin their pursuit of a Midwest League championship on Wednesday night with game 1 of a first-round series against the Fort Wayne TinCaps, who clinched a playoff spot with a 4-0 win against Bowling Green earlier in the day.
Monday’s game ended up being longer than expected, as heavy rains in the second inning caused a rain delay that lasted nearly two hours.
Javier Betancourt was 3-4 and Domingo Leyba was 2-4, extending his hitting streak to 13 games with a leadoff single in the bottom of the first inning. Leyba later scored on a wild pitch to give West Michigan an early 1-0 lead.
After the rain delay, momentum quickly shifted to the Loons.
Alex Santana doubled and scored in the third before hitting a sacrifice fly in the fifth inning to give the Loons a 2-1 lead. Paul Hoenecke would add a solo home run in the seventh inning to give the final 3-1 score.
The Whitecaps started a rally in the bottom in the seventh after singles by Ross Kivett and Bennett Pickar put runners on second and third. Betancourt scorched a ball up the middle, but a diving play by Loons’ shortstop Tyler Wampler ended the threat.
Jordan Hershiser (2-2) earned the win, throwing three scoreless innings to lead four Great Lakes’ relievers that combined to shutout West Michigan for eight innings. A.J. Vanegas pitched the last two innings for the Loons, earning his first save of the season.
Trent Szkutnik (0-1) took the loss for the Whitecaps, allowing two runs – one earned – on four hits over four innings.
As the first-half division champions in the MWL-East, the Whitecaps will open their first-round playoff series Wednesday night on the road against Fort Wayne with a 7:05 p.m. first pitch. RHP Austin Kubitza (10-2, 2.34) is scheduled to start for West Michigan against RHP Jimmy Brasoban (2-4, 6.54) of the TinCaps.
