The Midwest League champion will be crowned this week at Classic Auto Group Park in Eastlake. The Captains must win two games in a row to be the team hoisting the trophy. Wisconsin’s Cooper Pratt doubled in the go-ahead run with two outs in the eighth inning, and the host Timber Rattlers beat Lake County, 5-4, in Game 1 of the MWL championship series on Sept. 15. Game 2 of the best-of-three series is scheduled for 6:35 p.m., Sept. 17 at Lake County. Game 3, if necessary, is set for the following night. The Captains put a runner on in the ninth, but a double play and a strikeout ended the game. Lake County finished with five hits and was 2-for-14 with runners in scoring position. The Captains scored the first two runs of the game in the first inning on a single by Guardians 2023 No. 1 pick Ralph Velazquez, aided by a Wisconsin error. Wisconsin answered with three runs in the bottom of the first off Captains started Rorik Maltrud, who was pulled after two-thirds of an inning. Lake County’s Wuilfredo Antunez tied the game with a single in the third. The Timber Rattlers answered again with a run in the bottom half of the inning to make it 4-3. The Captains tied the game again in the fourth inning on a sacrifice fly by Angel Genao. Wisconsin will try to end the series and win the title Sept. 17, while the Captains will be trying to force a winner-take-all Game 3.