TinCaps Baseball: Sound Pitching Leads To Good Win
FORT WAYNE – In front of a sellout crowd of 7,389, and behind a strong performance from the pitching staff, the TinCaps beat the Kane County Cougars (Arizona Diamondbacks), 3-2, on Saturday night at Parkview Field.
Fort Wayne pitchers allowed just two hits through the first seven innings and five hits total in the game. The sellout was the 16th this season in Fort Wayne.
With the TinCaps leading, 3-2, in the top of the eighth inning, the Cougars had the tying run at third base with two outs. Fort Wayne reliever Hansel Rodriguez stuck out Ramon Hernandez to end the frame and keep the TinCaps’ lead intact.
Rodriguez (S) came into the game with no outs and two runners on base in the eighth inning, and he didn’t allow a baserunner en route to a six-out save. The right-hander struck out four batters in his outing.
Fort Wayne (19-10, 45-54) got on the board in the bottom of the first inning. With runners on first and second base and no outs, designated hitter Jorge Oña singled to left field, scoring shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. from second to give Fort Wayne a 1-0 lead.
The TinCaps scored again in the fourth inning. With two outs and runners on second and third, left fielder Tyler Benson singled to right field to score third baseman Hudson Potts and extend the TinCaps’ advantage to 2-0.
Fort Wayne added another run in the seventh inning with one swing of the bat. Right fielder Jack Suwinski crushed a ball over the right-field wall for a home run to make it a 3-0 ballgame. The hit was Suwinski’s third of the game, which included two doubles. It was the second time this season that Suwinski had a three-hit game.
Kane County (14-15, 53-43) cut into the Fort Wayne lead in the top of the eighth inning. With runners on second and third and no outs, Ben DeLuzio doubled, knocking in one run to trim the TinCaps’ advantage to 3-1. Two batters later, with a runner on third, Seth Spivey grounded out to second. The run scored from third to lower Fort Wayne’s edge to 3-2.
TinCaps starting pitcher Mason Thompson (W) allowed just one hit in five scoreless innings on the mound. The 19-year-old struck out three batters in the game.
Cougars starting pitcher Sam McWilliams (L) allowed five hits and two runs in five innings of work. The TinCaps broke up McWilliams’s streak of 16 1/3 scoreless innings pitched.
