Eau Claire scores five runs while only batting in one run to top Lakeshore

Box Score – Virtual Game-Day Program

Two wild pitches, a passed ball and an error helped the Eau Claire Express earn a 5-4 victory over the Lakeshore Chinooks tonight at Carson Park.

The Chinooks would score three runs to start the game in the top of the first inning off Express starter CJ Eldred. He would settle down however to finish with 5.2 innings pitched on seven runs and three hits while striking out two and walking one.

The score would be tied 3-3 for most of the game until the Express took the lead in the bottom of the sixth inning. After back-to-back singles by Joe Gillette and Teddy Cillis, the first pitch to Nathan Krause would get past Lakeshore’s catcher Colby Fitch, which scored Gillette from third.

One more run would be tacked on in the next inning after a Lakeshore error scored Sam Mrstik.

Trent Shelton pitched 1.2 innings to earn the win allowing just one hit, one walk on two strikeouts.

“Their errors were our happiness,” said Express Field Manager Dale Varsho. “They had some passed balls and such that allowed us to get back in the game.”

Up 5-3 Victor Sanchez came in to pitch the ninth inning and lock it down for the Express. The save didn’t come easily as Lakeshore got three walks and a single to put up a run and close the gap by one. But with the bases loaded Sanchez struck out his seventh faced batter to end it there.

The Express end the homestand with a 3-2 record and now head to Lakeshore for one more game before the All-Star Break.

“We’ve been playing better baseball since starting the second half,” said winning pitcher Trent Shelton. “We’re really excited about it especially with three days off coming up so were just pushing through these last couple days right now.”

The Express improve to 20-31 overall and 7-10 in the second half of the Northwoods League season. Tomorrow the Express finish up their game against Lakeshore which was cut short due to rain after the sixth inning with the Chinooks up 3-0. It will resume play at 3:05 p.m. tomorrow and the regularly scheduled nine-inning game will follow at 5:05 p.m.