Mequon, WI – The Lakeshore Chinooks played a pair of tight games against Madison on Saturday and Sunday, winning both by just one run. It was more of the same on Monday as they traveled to take on Mankato, but this time they were on the other side of things, losing 3-2 in a 12-inning game. 

The scoring got going early in this one as the Chinooks plated a run in the top of the first. Anthony Massicci (Canisius) got on base via a leadoff walk, and he later got himself into scoring position by stealing second. Zarley Zalewski (Kent State) came through with the big hit, smacking a two-out single to bring home Massicci and give his team the early advantage. 

Lake Bachar (UW-Whitewater) was the starter for the Chinooks. Mankato tied things up off of him in the second, but it was not Bachar's fault. He managed to get two outs before letting up back-to-back singles. Lakeshore should have escaped the inning, but a throwing error by shortstop Massicci on a ball hit by Hunter Mercado-Hood (San Diego) brought in Eric Schenck-Joblinske (Iowa) to tie things up.

Bachar ran into trouble in the third but got some help from his defense. He got two quick outs, but then allowed a pair of singles to give the MoonDogs an opportunity. Lakeshore managed to get out of the inning unscathed thanks to Eric Fasnacht (Concordia- St. Paul), who made an outstanding diving catch in foul territory behind the first base bag to end the inning.

The Chinooks took the lead in the fourth by bringing another run in. Greg Deichmann (Louisiana State) reached second as the first batter in the inning thanks to an error by the MoonDogs. He proceeded to steal third and then came around to score courtesy off a Jack Benninghoff (Arkansas) base knock.  

Bachar came back out for the fourth, getting an out and letting up a base runner before being removed two pitches into his third batter of the inning with a knee injury. He was replaced by Joe Stoll (Ohio State), who worked Lakeshore out of the inning to keep the lead at one.

Stoll cruised in his long-relief appearance until the seventh, when Mankato tied things up. He got the first two outs of the inning, but then walked David Metzgar (Cal. State Bakersfield), who then advanced to third on a single from Kyle Weston (James Madison). Metzgar then came around to score on an infield single off the bat of Mikel Mucha (Wichita State) that hit off the end of the glove of a diving Zalewski. Stoll did manage to hold things there, stranding a pair of runners.

That was Stoll's final frame as he fired 3.2 innings. He was replaced by Jake Tuttle (UW-Milwaukee), who fired a scoreless eighth and ninth. With Lakeshore unable to plate any more runs, however, the game headed to extras. Tuttle faced a jam back on in the tenth with two runners on and no outs, but he worked out of it to keep the game tied. 

Jack Landwehr (Illinois State) was the next reliever the Chinooks used as he came on for the 11th, holding the MoonDogs scoreless. The Chinooks were unable to break the tie in the top of the 12th, and with Landwehr back on the mound in the bottom of the inning, Mankato walked off to a 3-2 victory behind an RBI single from Brinn Bell (St. Ambrose). 

The Chinooks and MoonDogs will complete the two-game series in Mankato on Tuesday. Lakeshore then returns home for a Wednesday matchup against the Kenosha Kingfish.

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.