Kenosha, WI – The Lakeshore Chinooks came into game two looking to sweep the series over the Kenosha Kingfish. After a tough battle between both ball clubs on the night, the Chinooks came up short and took a 4-3 loss to the Kingfish.
The Chinooks got off to an early start off of Kingfish righty pitcher, Cole Erickson (UW-Stevens Point). Erickson took the mound for his seventh start of the season and came into the game with a 4.95 ERA. In the top of the second, Owen Miller (Illinois State) got the Chinooks rolling after he drew a walk. With two outs, Joe Duncan (Eastern Illinois) who was outstanding at the plate, stepped up and roped a single that scored Miller to make it 1-0 Chinooks. Kurtis Brown (Richmond) followed and smacked an RBI single that brought Duncan home and gave the Chinooks an early 2-0 lead.
The bats became quiet for both teams until the Kingfish struck on Chinooks starter Nolan Bond (Houston) who made his third start on the season for the Chinooks and came into the game with a 2.94 ERA and 11 strikeouts in 18.1 innings of work. Bond went scoreless until the bottom of the seventh after Cal Jadacki (St. Joseph University) reached first off an error by the Chinooks defense and later advanced to second on a wild pitch. Sawyer Gieseke (Arizona) drew a walk followed by Blake Reese (Florida) who brought both base runners home after he singled which put the Kingfish on the board and tied it up at 2-2.
Zach Reeg (Augustana) took over in the seventh for Bond who went 6.2 innings for the Chinooks and gave up only two runs off of seven hits. Reeg did his job and secured the last out of the seventh inning.
The Chinooks fired back right away in the top of the eighth off Chase Thurston (Eastern Illinois) who replaced Erickson on the mound after he went seven innings and gave up five hits and two runs. Zac Taylor (Houston) led off the order with a walk and stole second. Tim Dalporto (Kent State) roped a two out single that scored Taylor and regained the Chinooks their lead at 3-2.
Bottom of the eighth, Joe Stoll (Ohio State) took over on the mound for the Chinooks who secured one out followed by a quick substitution from manager Eddie Morgan, who brought in Joey Abraham (Vanderbilt) who got out of the eighth inning clean holding the Kingfish scoreless.
The game began to slip away from the Chinooks in the bottom of the ninth. Jack Landwehr (Illinois State) took the mound for the Chinooks and gave up a one out single to Rob Henry (Brown University). Reese hit a triple that scored Henry to tie it up at 3-3. Hearn closed the door on the Chinooks as he hit an RBI single that brought Reese home and gave the Kingfish a 4-3 win.
The Chinooks will return home this weekend as they take on the La Crosse Loggers Saturday night in game one of a two game series at 6:35.
The Lakeshore Chinooks are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. Playing its 23rd 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 150 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 (DET), Curtis Granderson (NYM), Lucas Duda (NYM) and Ben Zobrist (CHC). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League portal. For more information, visithttp://northwoodsleague.com/lakeshore-chinooks or download the new Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store and set the Chinooks as your favorite team.
