Captains Held to One Hit in 6-2 Defeat to TinCaps

EASTLAKE, Ohio – In Game 1 of a six-game series, the Lake County Captains (38-29) (1-2) fell to the Fort Wayne TinCaps (30-40) (3-1) by a final score of 6-2 on Tuesday night at Classic Auto Group Park in Eastlake.

The Captains were held to just one hit in the contest, a solo home run by RF Jace LaViolette in the fourth inning, with 14 out of their last 15 batters being set down by TinCaps pitching.

After both sides went down in order in the first inning, it was Fort Wayne who struck first in the second frame with a sacrifice fly from 3B Zach Evans.

It didn’t take long for Lake County to respond, as they tied the game in the home half of the inning with a sacrifice fly of their own from SS Welbyn Francisca, MLB Pipeline’s No. 10 Guardians prospect.

In the fourth, the Captains took their lone lead of the game in the fourth inning with a no-doubt solo shot from LaViolette, MLB Pipeline’s No. 6 Guardians prospect.

The TinCaps, however, roared ahead for good thanks to a four-run sixth frame, which was highlighted by a go-ahead two-run single from DH Kavares Tears, MLB Pipeline’s No. 26 Padres prospect. The visitors logged six hits in the inning, all of which were singles, and sent all nine batters to the plate.

RHP Matthew Watson (W, 1-4) earned his first career pro win and quality start for Fort Wayne, allowing just two runs on one hit, walking four and striking out three in six strong innings.

RHP Jervis Alfaro (L, 0-1) suffered the loss for Lake County, allowing four runs on seven hits and one walk, while striking out two in four innings out of the bullpen.

Game 2 of this week’s six-game series between the Captains and TinCaps is scheduled for Wednesday morning, June 24, at 11:05 a.m. Lake County will host Kids Camp Day and Ditch Work Day at the ballpark. The game will be broadcast on the Rock Entertainment Sports Network (RESN), the Bally Sports Live App, the MiLB App, and StreamGuys, with social media coverage courtesy of @LCCaptains on X and Instagram.

NOTES TO KNOW

- 1B/OF Nolan Schubart, MLB Pipeline’s No. 28 Guardians prospect, extended his on-base streak to 28 games with a pair of walks on Tuesday night. The 2025 3rd-round pick out of Oklahoma State is batting .313 with 31 hits, five doubles, nine home runs, 31 RBI, 27 walks, and a 1.093 OPS during this span.

- OF Jace LaViolette hit his 11th home run of the season on Tuesday night. This was his first home run since June 5 at Fort Wayne.

- 1B Anthony Martinez extended his on-base streak to 13 games across Lake County and Single-A Hill City with a walk in his High-A debut on Tuesday night. The 2025 eighth-round pick out of UC Irvine is batting .356 with 16 hits, three doubles, three home runs, seven RBI, 11 walks to just five strikeouts, and a 1.104 OPS during this span.

About the Lake County Captains:

The Lake County Captains are the professional High-A Affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians located in Eastlake, Ohio. Our mission is to honor the rich history of our organization, while also introducing baseball to a new generation of fans through innovative means. We are committed to supporting our community, sports teams, and each other by demonstrating passion and having fun every day.