West Michigan homer topples TinCaps on Daisies night

FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The Fort Wayne TinCaps fell to the West Michigan Whitecaps (Detroit Tigers affiliate), 1-0, on Saturday night at Parkview Area in entrance of a sell-out crowd of seven,651 followers. Fort Wayne displayed robust protection and pitching all evening regardless of the loss.

The protection shined within the high of the primary inning after a lead-off stroll. With West Michigan’s Corey Joyce on second base and one out, Ripken Reyes slid to seize sinking liner behind the bag after which prolonged his glove backward whereas mendacity on his again to tag the second base bag and double off Joyce.

Within the high of the second, the TinCaps have been once more in a jam. The Whitecaps loaded the bases with nobody out in a 0-0 sport. Starter Robert Gasser recorded the primary out of the inning with an out of doors fastball that Ben Malgeri swung via for a strikeout. Then, Gasser pressured a groundball from Trei Cruz that shortstop TinCaps Jarryd Dale transformed into an inning-ending double play. Regardless of 4 baserunners in two innings, the sport remained tied headed to the third.

Reyes’ glove shined once more within the fourth inning. With a runner in scoring place and two outs, the second basemen ranged to his proper – behind second base – and speared a hot-shot one-hopper off the bat of Malgeri. Reyes turned and fired to first on a bounce, requiring a easy scoop from first basemen Matt Acosta.

The robust protection by Fort Wayne assisted Gasser in one other robust day from the lefty. Gasser pitched six innings and allowed simply two hits and one run whereas hanging out six. One of many southpaw’s lone errors, nonetheless, was a 3-0 fastball that Whitecaps proper fielder Jake Holton roped over the wall in left-center subject. Holton’s house run made the rating 1-0 in fourth. Gasser bounced again, although, retiring 9 of the following ten batters. The Houston alum ended his begin on a pair of back-ankle sliders that struck out Holton and Wenceel Perez.

Fort Wayne’s Ramon Perez entered within the seventh inning to maintain the sport inside one. After stints in Fort Wayne in 2019 (Single-A) and 2021 (Excessive-A), Perez made his 2022 TinCaps debut and pitched a scoreless inning. Nick Thwaits relieved after him and dealt in two scoreless innings, hanging out three. The Whitecaps closed the door on a comeback within the ninth, nonetheless, with Elvis Alvarado selecting up a two-out save.

The TinCaps wore particular jerseys to commemorate the Fort Wayne Daisies of the All-American Ladies Skilled Baseball League (AAGPBL). The jerseys are being auctioned off on-line at this hyperlink. All proceeds are benefiting a fundraiser to enhance a monument for the Daisies at Fort Wayne’s Memorial Park, the place the staff as soon as performed. The public sale will proceed via 9 p.m. Sunday. 

Earlier than the sport, 5 AAGPBL alumni have been honored on the sector, whereas the relations of different former gamers have been additionally acknowledged. The alumni readily available signed autographs and took images with followers through the sport, too. 
Subsequent Sport: Sunday, Could 22 vs. West Michigan Whitecaps (1:05 p.m.)

• Fort Wayne Possible Starter: RHP Ryan Bergert
• West Michigan Possible Starter: RHP Ty Madden (No. 6 Tigers prospect)