Whitecaps blank Hot Rods in home opener

COMSTOCK PARK, Mich. (WOOD) - The West Michigan Whitecaps got their 2012 home schedule off to a great start Monday night.

They beat the Bowling Green Hot Rods 4-0 in front of 5,173 fans at Fifth Third Ballpark in Comstock Park.

West Michigan (2-2) had 10 hits and four pitchers combined on the five-hit shutout. Bowling Green falls to 2-2.

Five different Whitecaps registered multi-hit games, highlighted by Dean Green's second home run of the season and a pair of RBI from Steven Moya.

In the bottom of the first inning, West Michigan had four consecutive hits -- Green singled to start the rally and advanced to third base on a double by Aaron Westlake. Brandon Loy and Moya added consecutive infield singles, putting the 'Caps up 2-0.

Brennan Smith (1-0) scattered four hits over five shutout innings to earn the victory.

Relievers Ryan Woolley, Michael Torrealba and Dan Bennett did the rest, facing the minimum over four scoreless frames.

The only baserunner allowed by the relievers came on a one-out single in the sixth inning, but Woolley promptly erased him with a pickoff.

Bowling Green's best scoring opportunity came in the fourth when a pair of two-out hits gave them runners at second and third base. Matt Rice ripped a ball to the right side of the infield, but Westlake dove to his left to rob him of a potentially game-tying hit and end the inning.

West Michigan put the game away in the sixth inning when Green led off the inning with a towering fly ball to right-center that cleared the fence for a home run. Westlake followed with his second double of the game and advanced to third on a bunt by Loy. With the infield in, Moya smacked a base hit up the middle for the 4-0 final.

------

Online:

West Michigan Whitecaps website