On Monday, the Chinooks took game one of the 2014 Northwoods League South Division Championship Series. They defeated the Woodchucks by the final score of 9-4 at Athletic Park in Wausau, Wisc.
The team was led by Zack Bowers (Georgia), who went 1-4, scored twice and had a grand slam in the ninth.
For his pivotal performance, Bowers was named the Northwoods League Player of the Night on August 11.
In the second, the Woodchucks scored three runs. With one out, Blair Beck and Ryan Howard advanced on back-to-back singles off Chinooks starter Evan Kruczynski (East Carolina). Left fielder Derek Peake reached first on a fielder’s choice. Beck, Howard and Peake all scored on a double by second baseman Zak Leighton.
First baseman Ryan Krill (Michigan State) drew a walk to lead off the fifth. Woodchucks’ righty Austin Orewiler then hit Zack Bowers. Krill scored on a basehit by Blake Butler (College of Charleston).
Jake Noll (Florida Gulf Coast) and Brett Siddall (Canisius) also had RBI groundouts in the inning. The game was tied at three.
In the sixth, the Chinooks took a 4-3 lead. Left fielder Michael Morman (Richmond) was hit by Orewiler. Morman scored on an RBI single by Luke Meeteer (UW-Milwaukee).
Brendon Hayden got a single off Jake Tuttle (UW-Milwaukee) in the eighth. Howard then tied the game at four with another single.
Lakeshore scored five runs in the top of the ninth. Noll began the frame with a single off reliever Patrick Kinney and stole second base. Siddall then hit a go-ahead single and Noll scored.
After walking two straight batters, Kinney was replaced by John Roberts. Bowers stepped to the plate and cleared bases with his grand slam.
The southpaw Kruczynski got a no-decision in seven solid innings of work. Despite the second, he gave up just three runs off six hits. He also had two strikeouts.
Despite giving up the tying run, the lefty Tuttle picked up the win for the Chinooks.
The right-hander Kinney took the loss for the Woodchucks. In one-third of an inning, he surrendered four runs off two hits.
Lakeshore returns home to play Wisconsin on Tuesday, August 12. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. If necessary, game three will take place at Kapco Park on Wednesday, August 13 at 6:35 p.m.
The Lakeshore Chinooks are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. Playing its 21st season of summer collegiate baseball, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 18 teams, drawing significantly more fans, in a friendly ballpark experience, than any league of its kind. A valuable training ground for coaches, umpires and front office staff, more than 115 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (DET) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (CWS), Jordan Zimmermann (WAS), Curtis Granderson (NYM), Allen Craig (STL) and Ben Zobrist (TB). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League YouTube channel<http://northwoodsleague.com/video/>. For more information, visit www.lakeshorechinooks.com.
