The Chinooks (17-8) and Woodchucks (15-8) met Friday for third time this season for a South Division first-place battle. Lakeshore came away with a 5-2 victory and a half-game lead in the South Division after game one.
Shaun Anderson, a University of Florida product, started his second game for Lakeshore. He gave up two runs in the second inning. Anderson struck out five Woodchuck hitters and issued one walk.
The Chinooks were led by Brett Siddall (Canisius), who went 3-4 in the game with three singles. Shortstop Sawyer Polen (Kent State) went 2-4 and scored a run as well.
In the second, Lakeshore put three runs on the board. Team newcomer Connor McKay (Kansas) hit a leadoff single. Zack Bowers (Georgia) also had a basehit. McKay scored on a groundout by Ryan Larson (Florida).
Bowers scored on a double by Matt Honchel (Miami-OH). Woodchucks’ third baseman Paul DeJong made a throwing error to first and Honchel also scored.
The Woodchucks responded in the bottom of the inning. First baseman Brendon Hayden hit a solo home run off Anderson. Jake Scudder hit a single and scored on a double by CJ Chatham.
Polen and second baseman Jake Noll (Florida Gulf Coast) hit consecutive singles to begin the fifth inning. Both scored on a later basehit by Ryan Krill (Michigan State). The Chinooks led 5-2.
Anderson (1-1) got his first win of the summer. Fellow SEC hurler Connor Jones (Georgia) relieved him and recorded a two-inning save. The lefty struck out five of the eight batters he faced.
Wisconsin starter Parker Dunshee (1-1) received the loss. In five innings, he gave up five runs (four earned) on eight hits. He also had five strikeouts.
Game two at Athletic Park between the Chinooks and Woodchucks will be Saturday, June 20 at 7:05 p.m. Left-hander Evan Kruczynski will face Wisconsin’s Alex Phillips. The team begins a six-game home stand on Sunday, June 22.
The Lakeshore Chinooks are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. Playing its 21st 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 115 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (DET) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (CWS), Jordan Zimmermann (WAS), Curtis Granderson (NYM), Allen Craig (STL) and Ben Zobrist (TB). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League YouTube channel<http://northwoodsleague.com/video/>. For more information, visit www.lakeshorechinooks.com.
