Midwest League Baseball Acion

Silver Hawks Take Down Top Pitcher
Bullpen Continues Dominance in 4-1 Victory

Dayton, OH – The last thing the South Bend Silver Hawks needed after managing just two runs on eight hits combined over the last two days was to go up against one of the league’s best pitchers on Wednesday night…or so it seemed. The Hawks plated four runs on 13 hits in taking down Josh Smith (LP, 2-2) in a 4-1 decision over the Dayton Dragons at Fifth Third Field.

Smith entered the game ranked second in the league in both ERA (0.93) and strikeouts (35). He managed eight strikeouts, but the Silver Hawks scored three times against him in 5.0 innings to send him to the loss.

The offense set the tone early by forcing Smith into 24 pitches in the first inning, despite not scoring a run. Smith threw another 28 pitches in the second inning and it all started with Chris Jarrett working a leadoff walk after falling behind 0-2. After stealing second, Jarrett advanced to third on a Bobby Stone single and scored on a single from Raul Navarro for the early 1-0 lead.

Matt Helm led off the third with a triple and scored on a one out single from Raywilly Gomez to make it 2-0.

Yazy Arbelo then finished out the scoring against Smith in the fifth by launching a home run to right field for the 3-0 lead. The blast that entirely left the stadium was Arbelo’s seventh of the season, tying for the Midwest League lead.

Arbelo and Gomez teamed up in the seventh with back-to-back doubles to score South Bend’s final run of the night.

South Bend starter Bradin Hagens (ND) battled his way through 4.0+ innings, but departed with no decision due to a high pitch count. Hagens allowed just one run in his time on the mound, as he continues to develop in the starting role.

The Silver Hawks bullpen was phenomenal once again with Mike Bolsinger (WP, 2-0) and Blake Cooper (SV, 4) combining for 5.0 scoreless innings. Cooper has now thrown five perfect innings in a row, and the bullpen has permitted just two earned runs over their last 30.1 innings pitched


TinCaps defeated by Lansing, 12-2
Bisson slugs first pro home run in three-hit night
FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Chris Bisson had three hits including his first professional home run, but
the TinCaps dropped the series opener against Lansing, 12-2, Wednesday at Parkview Field.
Lansing scored single runs in the first two innings without a hit. Gustavo Pierre drew a walk, stole
second, went to third on a wild pitch and scored on K.C. Hobson’s groundout in the opening
inning. In the second, Michael Crouse was hit by the first pitch of the inning, stole second and
third and scored on a wild pitch.
Fort Wayne cut the lead in half in the bottom of the third when Bisson lined a home run over the
right-field wall to make it a 2-1 game.
The Lugnuts opened the floodgates in the game’s middle stages. They scored six runs in the fourth
inning, keyed by Pierre’s two-run double. Then Lansing scored four more runs in the fifth inning as
Pierre launched a three-run homer.
The TinCaps plated their final run in the sixth. Rymer Liriano bounced a single to right and raced
home on Jake Blackwood’s RBI double into the left-field corner.
Fort Wayne RHP Adys Portillo (0-4) took the loss; Lansing RHP Daniel Webb (3-1) picked up the
win.
Fort Wayne fell to 10-17; Lansing stayed atop the division as the Lugnuts improved to 17-9.
The TinCaps and Lugnuts (Class-A Toronto Blue Jays) continue the three-game series Thursday at
7:05 p.m. on a special Thirsty Thursday, Cinco de Mayo. Fort Wayne LHP Andrew Werner (1-3)
goes to the mound against Lugnuts RHP Casey Lawrence (2-2).