By Luke Tanaka, Radio Broadcaster

Battle Creek, Mich. – The Lakeshore Chinooks completed a sweep of the Battle Creek Bombers with 9-1 victory on a rain-soaked Wednesday at C.O. Brown Stadium. 

Already leading 3-0 after three consecutive one-run frames to open the ballgame, the Chinooks used a five-run fourth inning to break the game open. As rain began to fall, Drake Parker (Vanderbilt) led off with a single against Bombers starter Nathan Witt (Michigan State). Lucas Raley (Lake Erie) and Greg Deichmann (LSU) followed with consecutive extra-base hits to the right-center field gap. Raley’s triple scored Parker and Deichmann’s double plated Raley. After Doug Kraeger (Richmond) reached on a throwing error, the umpires halted the game. 

After the 90-minute delay, Kaleb McCurry (Mars Hill University) replaced Witt and got the first two hitters out before walking Rich Rodriguez (Cincinnati), who scored with Kraeger on Jake Romano’s (Miami-OH) double. 

The Bombers struck for one run in the fifth. Cayce Bredlau (Austin Peay) led off the inning with a single, advanced to second on a passed ball, and scored on a fielder’s choice. 

The Bombers threatened in the eighth, as Matt Simmons (Gardner-Webb) and Dre Gleason (Austin Peay) each walked and reached scoring position, but were stranded. 

The Chinooks pitching staff combined for fifteen strikeouts in the win. Lakeshore's starter Lake Bachar (UW-Whitewater) was awarded the win, pitching three shutout innings, allowing two hits and striking out six. John Schreiber (Kent State) followed after the rain delay with four innings, allowing just one run. Shea Murray (Ohio State) walked the first two batters in the eighth, but did not allow a run, striking out five Bombers and wrapping up the Chinooks victory. 

Witt took the loss, giving up six runs on 12 hits in 3-plus innings. McCurry threw four innings, allowing two unearned runs, while striking out four. Min Hsia (Taiwan) finished the game with two scoreless frames. 

The Bombers begin their home-and-home rivalry series with the Kalamazoo Growlers tomorrow with first pitch scheduled for 7:05 at C.O. Brown Stadium. The first 500 fans receive a free Bombers Poster courtesy of J-Ad Graphics. It is also KCC Night, which means all KCC students and staff receive free admission with a valid KCC I.D. Finally, it is Thirsty Thursday, so Labatts are $2.00 all night long.