Mequon, WI – After Saturday’s tilt was postponed due to heavy rain, the Chinooks returned to Kapco Park on Sunday to play the Growlers in a double header to make-up for postponement on Saturday. Despite a tough loss in game one, the night ended on a high note as the Chinooks were able to pick up a major victory in game two, splitting the series against the Growlers.

The first game resumed play in the top of the third inning, with the Growlers holding a 2-0 lead after a two-run second inning got them out front. Nick Lackney (Minnesota) took over on the mound for Saturday’s starter, Nolan Bond (Houston). Lackney had pitched well for Lakeshore in his previous seven appearances out of the bullpen, posting a 1-1 record with a 3.52 ERA and racking up 12 strikeouts in his 15.1 innings of work.

Lackney faced off against Zach Vitkuske (Muskegon CC), who came on to pitch for the Growlers in the bottom of the third in relief of Trey Ganns (Northern Kentucky).

Lackney mowed down the Growlers’ offense, holding Kalamazoo scoreless through his first three innings on the bump. But, the Growlers bats came alive in the top of the sixth. A one-out single to right by Dan Robinson (Central Michigan) got things started for the Growlers. After swiping second base, Robinson came around to score on an RBI single by Kasey Cooper (Arkansas Fort Smith) to extend Kalamazoo’s lead to 3-0.

Lackney’s day would end after the sixth, as Jack Landwehr (Illinois State) was called out of the bullpen to pitch the seventh. Landwehr held the Growlers’ offense at bay, allowing no hits with one walk and three strikeouts in his three innings pitched.

The Chinooks finally struck in the bottom of the eighth. Back-to-back one-out singles by Joe Duncan (Eastern Illinois) and Owen Miller (Illinois State) started the inning for the Chinooks. Then, a ground ball to second off the bat of Darius Sewell (Georgia State) couldn’t be fielded cleanly by Growlers’ second baseman Connor Smith (Western Michigan), allowing Duncan to score all the way from second to put the Chinooks on the board.

Garvin Alston (Arizona State) came into the game to face Matt Johnson (South Dakota State) in the top of the ninth. After striking out Johnson, Alston was replaced by Hayden Brauser (Pratt CC) to close it out for Kalamazoo.

But, the Chinooks weren’t going down without a fight. Back-to-back one-out singles by Matt Reardon (Florida Gulf Coast) and Hayden Senger (Miami-Ohio) put runners on the corners to start the inning for Lakeshore. Then, a sacrifice fly to right by James Bleming (Lehigh) scored Reardon to make it a 3-2 ballgame. However, the Chinooks weren’t able to produce anything following the sacrifice fly, as the Growlers emerge victorious over the Chinooks by a score of 3-2 in game one.

Nolan Bond was issued his second loss of the season after giving up two runs on three hits with three walks and one strikeout in his two innings of work. Zach Vitkuske was awarded the win in his season debut for the Growlers, holding the Chinooks to one run (which was unearned) on three hits and racking up five strikeouts in his six innings pitched. Despite giving up a run in the bottom of the ninth, Kalamazoo’s Hayden Brauser picked up his third save of the season.

Game two of the double header followed shortly after the completion of game one. The game would be shortened to only seven innings due to the postponement on Saturday. Yet, the truncated game still had plenty of action, as the Chinooks’ offense surged to top the Growlers by a score of 9-2.

Keenan Bartlett (Richmond) started on the hill for Lakeshore, making his seventh start and tenth appearance of the season. The NWL All-Star has been dominate coming into Sunday, posting a 1-2 record along with the seventh lowest ERA in the league (2.05). Bartlett has also been key out of the bullpen, picking up three saves and racking up 45 strikeouts in his 44.0 innings of work this season.

Bartlett squared off against Kevin Marnon (Ball State), who was making his ninth start of the season for Kalamazoo. Coming into Sunday, Marnon posted a 2-4 record with a 4.17 ERA, tallying 39 strikeouts and 21 walks in his 47.1 innings pitched for the Growlers.

The Growlers didn’t wait long to jump on Bartlett, striking first in the top of the first. Connor Smith (Western Michigan) lead off the game with a single up the middle, later advancing to second on a sacrifice bunt by Camden Duzenack (Dallas Baptist). Then, an RBI single by Brandon Gomez (Nova Southeastern) brought home Smith to score the first run of the game for Kalamazoo.

But, the lead didn’t last long, as the Chinooks answered immediately in the bottom of the first. A lead off triple down the right field corner by Joe Duncan started the game for the Chinooks’ offense. Then, an RBI single to right by Owen Miller scored Duncan to put Lakeshore on the board and even the score at 1-1.

The Chinooks tacked on one more in the bottom of the second. Royce Ando (Michigan State) roped a one-out double down the right field line, but Growlers’ right fielder Brandon Gomez couldn’t field the ball cleanly, allowing Ando move to third. Then, after Matt Reardon struck out for the second out of the inning, a errand throw by Growlers’ catcher TJ Marik (Austin Peay) attempting to pickoff Ando at third sailed into the outfield, allowing Ando to score on the play to give the Chinooks a 2-1 lead.

Lakeshore didn’t take their foot off the accelerator in the bottom of the third. A one-out single by Darius Sewell started the inning for Lakeshore. After moving to second on a ground out to short by Matt Johnson, Sewell came around to score on an RBI single by Cody Ducote (LSU), then Ducote scored on an RBI triple to left by James Bleming to increase the Chinooks’ lead to 4-1.

Marnon’s afternoon would end after the third inning, as Brennan Lewis (Johnson County CC) was called out of the bullpen to pitch the fourth for the Growlers.

But, the Chinooks were not phased by Lewis’ entrance, as they continued to attack Kalamazoo’s pitching. Matt Reardon drew a lead off walk to start the inning for Lakeshore. Then, Chinooks’ manager Eddy Morgan called a hit and run to perfection, as Joe Duncan lifted the ball down the right field line to put runners on second and third on the Duncan double. Following the double, an RBI ground out to short by Owen Miller scored Reardon from third, and then an RBI single to left by Tim DalPorto (Kent State) brought home Duncan to widen the gap to 6-1 in favor of the Chinooks heading into the fifth.

The Growlers’ tacked on one run in the top the fifth on a solo shot to left field by Kasey Cooper to make it a 6-2 ballgame.

Keenan Bartlett was pulled from the game in the top of the sixth, as Eddy Morgan called Nick Horvath (Florida) out of the bullpen with the bases juiced and two outs. Horvath was able to get out of the inning unscathed, striking out pinch hitter Nick Hutchins (Southern Illinois) on three pitches to maintain the 6-2 lead for the Chinooks.

Jeff Kross (San Diego State) came into the game to pitch the sixth for the Growlers, but ran into trouble right away by issuing a lead off walk to Matt Reardon to start his night. After moving to second on a sacrifice bunt by Joe Duncan, Reardon came around to score on an RBI single by Tim DalPorto to increase the Chinooks’ lead to 7-2. Then, Darius Sewell got a hold of a 1-1 offering from Growlers’ reliever Drake Herman (Pittsburg State), lifting it over the right field wall for his sixth home run of the season to extend Lakeshore’s lead to 9-2.

Nick Horvath stayed on the pitch the top of the seventh, retiring the side to secure the 9-2 victory for the Chinooks.

Keenan Bartlett was awarded his second win of the year after allowing two runs on eight hits, issuing two walks but striking out five in his 5.2 innings of work. Kevin Marnon was issued after giving up four runs, three of which were earned, on six hits with one walk and four strikeouts in his short 3.0 innings pitched. Nick Horvath picked up his second win of the season by silencing the Growlers’ bats in the sixth and seventh, guaranteeing the much needed win for Lakeshore.

With the game two victory the Chinooks improve their second half record to 7-9 and their overall record to 22-30, while the Growlers drop to 7-9 for the second half and 27-25 overall.

The Chinooks don’t return to action until Tuesday night, where they will hit the road to face off against the division rival Madison Mallards at 7:05 pm.

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, visit http://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.