Captains have plenty to smile about in sweep

For as long as he plays baseball for a living, Captains second baseman Alexis Pantoja said, he’ll remember what happened July 1 at Classic Park.

In the nightcap of a doubleheader of seven-inning games against the Bowling Green (Ky.) Hot Rods, Pantoja came to the plate in the bottom of the third inning with two outs, the bases loaded and the Captains leading, 4-1.

Lake County had won the opener, 3-2, behind stout pitching by Tanner Tully and some timely hitting.

The sweep was there for the taking as Pantoja stepped into the batter’s box for his 662nd plate appearance in 4 1/2 seasons. In none of the previous 661 at-bats had the 21-year-old native of Puerto Rico connected for a home run.

Pantoja, bating from the left side, picked on a slider from Bowling Green starter J.D. Busfield and rocketed a line drive over the wall in right field for a grand slam that extended his team’s lead to 8-1.

Raising his first in the air as the ball cleared the fence, Pantoja sprinted around the bases with a smile on his face. After he crossed home plate and reached the dugout, he was mobbed by teammates.

“I’ve dreamed about this for so long, to hit a home run and help my team win a ballgame,” Pantoja said. “Then to have my teammates greet me like that was so exciting.”

Pantoja, selected by the Indians in the ninth round of the 2014 draft, said it was “amazing” to hit the first round-tripper of his professional career with his girlfriend, Nicole Molina, and her mother, Millie Molina, visiting from Puerto Rico and watching in the stands.

His teammates marked the occasion by ambushing him after the game with a shaving cream attack that left his head covered with white foam.

The Hot Rods started quickly in the nightcap, nicking Lake County starter Henry Martinez for a run in first on an RBI grounder by Bobby Melley.

Busfield (4-4, 2.85 ERA) couldn’t hold the lead, however, as the Captains struck for three runs in the bottom of the first.

Miguel Eladio ignited the rally with a one-out, solo home run to left-center field. It was Eladio’s sixth home run of the season. Five of those round trippers have come against the Hot Rods and two against Busfield.

Mitch Longo followed with a single. He stole second base, took third base on a throwing error by Hot Rods catcher and scored easily when Busfield uncorked a wild pitch.

Captains first baseman Emmanuel Tapia capped the outburst with a tapemeasure, solo home run to center field. The Midwest League-leading 18th home run for the burly native of the Dominican Republic traveled an estimated 436 feet.

Lake County struck for three runs in the bottom of the fifth to take an 11-4 lead.

The ruins scored on an RBI single by Logan Ice and RBI grounders by Pantoja and Junior Soto.

The game was so out of hand in the eyes of Bowling Green manager Reinaldo Ruiz that he summoned infielder Mike Brosseau to face the Captains in the bottom of the sixth inning. In his second pitching appearance of the season, the 23-year-old undrafted free agent retired three of the four batters he faced.

The opener was a tidy affair, especially when it came to the work of Tully (4-5, 3.17 ERA).

Turning in his third straight quality start, he went the distance and limited the Hot Rods to six hits and two runs (one earned) in seven innings.

The 22-year-old lefthander and Ohio State product threw 93 pitches, 63 for strikes, while facing 27 batters.

Tully had to be in good form because Bowling Green starter and loser Kenny Rosenberg (2-6, 5.31 ERA) was nearly as tough against the Captains. The 21-year-old southpaw gave up three runs on five hits in 5 2/3 innings.

Bowling Green struck first when Robbie Temerowicz got to Tully for a twoout, solo home run in the top of then first inning.

The Captains answered in the first on a solo home run to right by catcher LiJen Chu. It was Chu’s ninth home run and 30th RBI.

Longo lashed an opposite-field single to left field to open the second. The former Mayfield High School and Ohio University standout stole second base and later scored on Luke Wakamatsu’s one-out, RBI double to left field.