The Lakeshore Chinooks entered C.O. Brown Stadium Monday in dire need of offense against the Battle Creek Bombers. They were able to scratch across two runs for the first time in three days, but it was not enough to hold off the Bombers resulting in a 6-2 loss on Monday.
Mikole Pierce (University Wisconsin-Whitewater) led off the game with a double. Brant Valach (Eastern Illinois University) pushed him to third with a one-out single. Ryan Krill (Michigan State) hit a ball up the first base line that Clayton Truex of the Bombers was unable to reel in allowing Pierce to score the first run of the game.
That lead was short lived as the Bombers put the first two runners on the corners in the bottom half of the first. Truex made up for his error with a one-out RBI single to tie the score at 1-1.
For a second consecutive inning, the Bombers defense aided a scuffling offense in a big way. After Ryan Solberg (University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee) was erased trying to steal, Jared Fon (University Wisconsin-Whitewater) followed with a double and moved to third on a passed ball. Pierce reached on an error by second basemen Matt Fears allowing Fon to score. This allowed the Chinooks to take a 2-1 lead after the top half of the 2nd.
The Bombers bounced back once again as Chinooks starter Dan Sayles (Sacramento City College) ran into big trouble in the 2nd inning. After back-to-back one-out walks, the Bombers collected four consecutive hits to chase Sayles from the game bringing home four runs to take a 5-2 lead.
Tim Faix (Kent State University) was outstanding in relief throwing 5 2/3 innings of one run ball.
The Chinooks had chances to inch closer putting two runners on base in the fifth, sixth, and ninth inning but came up empty.
Fon led the way with three hits out of the nine spot in the batting order. Five other players collected one hit apiece.
The team returns home tomorrow to start a four game home stand against Eau Claire and La Crosse. First pitch against the Express is at 6:35 at Kapco Park.