It was not meant to be for the Chinooks Tuesday night at Copland Park in La Crosse. That was evident from the very first inning. Charlie Markson (Notre Dame) struck out to open the game, beginning a streak of eight in a row set down by Logger starter Jake Stassi to get things started.
All night long the Chinooks failed to find any offensive momentum registering just five hits in an 8-2 loss to La Crosse.
Andrew Waszak (Michigan State) did his best to keep the Chinooks in the game allowing just two runs through his first five innings of work.
The Chinooks got on the board in the fourth inning when Bre’ Kimbell (Louisiana Tech) hit a one out single. Eric Aguilera then followed with his nineteenth double of the season moving Kimbell to third. Brian Anderson followed with a sacrifice fly to center plating Kimbell for Lakeshore’s first run of the contest.
For the second time in as many nights, Forrest Chadwick (Southern Maine) touched them all. This time a solo shot with one out in the sixth knotted the score at two.
On the strength of the game tying homerun the Chinooks looked poised to take control of the game. The Loggers had other ideas.
With two on and nobody out to lead off the sixth, Waszak found himself in a jam. Kevin Kramer looked to lay down a sacrifice bunt down the first base line. Waszak fielded the ball in plenty of time but threw wildly over Kimbell’s head at first allowing two runners to score. Things went from bad to worse on the same play when Matt Morse (Alabama Birmingham) tried to get Kramer going to second and fired the ball into centerfield.
The Loggers piled on in the seventh when Richard Prigatano unloaded on a two out, three-run shot to put the loggers up for good at 8-2.
Kevin Nutly (St. Norbert College) did a nice job for the Chinooks in relief, holding the Loggers hitless through the final inning and two-thirds.
Tim Verthein (UW-La Crosse) will make his first start for the Chinooks tomorrow as they take on the Battle Creek Bombers at 6:35. Get to Kapco Park early for a pregame performance by Pat McCurdy presented by Highland House Restaurant.
