Mequon, WI – The Lakeshore Chinooks began post-All-Star-break play with a two-game series against the Green Bay Bullfrogs, which the teams split. The team returned back to Kapco Park for their first home game since the break, taking on the Madison Mallards. In an exciting game, the Chinooks were victorious in walk-off fashion, downing Madison 3-2 in 10 innings.

The Chinooks were the first on the board, plating a run in bottom of the second. Doug Kraeger (Richmond) led off the inning with a single, and Lakeshore proceeded to load the bases after Colby Fitch (Louisville) was hit by a pitch and Greg Deichmann (Louisiana State) singled. Kraeger came around to score the first run of the game on a wild pitch, but that was all the Chinooks would get after threatening for more. 

The Mallards came right back in the top of the third to tie the game up. Against Lakeshore starter Zac Lowther (Xavier), Madison put two on after back-to-back walks drawn by Bryce Carter (Stanford) and Tony Butler (Madison College). A single from Logan Regnier (Central Michigan) brought home Carter to make it a 1-1 game. Lowther did face a bigger jam as the bases were loaded with two outs, but he escaped without further damage. 

That came back to be important as Lakeshore scored another run in the bottom half of the inning to regain the lead. Jake Romano (Miami-Ohio) reached base thanks to an error by Madison second baseman Ro Coleman (Vanderbilt). He later advanced to third on another error by the Mallards, this time when Zarley Zalewski (Kent State) grounded to the first baseman, Carter, who bobbled the ball and let Zalewski reach. After Kraeger walked to load the bases, Fitch was hit by a pitch for the second time, allowing Romano to score. The club once again missed an opportunity to break things wide open, however, leaving the bases loaded. 

Lowther settled down after the third, holding the Mallards scoreless over the next three innings. He finished the game having thrown 6.0 innings, giving up one run on just three hits while striking out seven. It was Lowther's best start of the year, as his six innings pitched were his most in a single outing and his seven strikeouts tied his season high. 

Nick Brown (Missouri State) came on in relief of Lowther in the seventh inning. He fired two scoreless innings, giving up just one walk and no hits while striking out two to preserve the 2-1 lead. He was replaced by Andrew Shaps (Arizona State) in the ninth with the lead still at one. 

Shaps, however, could not hold the lead. J.J. Gould (Jacksonville) led off the frame with an infield single, and he advanced to second on an errant throw by Anthony Massicci (Canisius). Shaps managed to get the next two hitters out, but he gave up a single to Regnier, allowing Gould to score to tie the game up at 2-2. 

Lakeshore was held scoreless in the bottom of the ninth, so the fans at Kapco Park got some bonus baseball as the teams headed to extras. Shaps stayed on to throw the top of the tenth, holding the Green Bay offense at bay to give his team a chance to fight their way back on top. 

The club quickly got a chance to end things in the bottom of the tenth. Massicci led off the inning with a ground rule double, and a walk drawn by Romano put two on with no outs. After Zalewski was retired, the Chinooks loaded the bases when Lucas Raley (Lake Erie College) was hit by a pitch. Lakeshore then finished things off when Mark Kolozsvary (Florida) drew a bases-loaded walk, bringing in Massicci for the walk-off win. It was a great at-bat for Kolozsvary, who fell behind 0-2 but battled back to draw the walk by fouling off a couple of tough pitches. 

The Chinooks and Mallards will be back in action at Kapco Park on Sunday to complete the two-game series. 

The Northwoods League is the proven leader in the development of elite college baseball players. The 21 year old summer collegiate 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 120 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (CWS), Jordan Zimmermann (WAS), Curtis Granderson (NYM), Lucas Duda (NYM) and Ben Zobrist (OAK). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League website. For more information, visit www.lakeshorechinooks.com.