Dense fog covered the field at Kapco Park, but efficient pitching and eight base hits led the Chinooks to victory. Lakeshore defeated Kalamazoo 5-2 in seven official innings.
Righty Joe Pavlovich (UW-Oshkosh) tossed six solid innings for his second win of the year. In six innings, he gave up two runs on three hits. He also had four strikeouts.
Third baseman Blake Butler (College of Charleston) hit a double to begin the bottom of the first inning. Jake Noll advanced to first on a single, and Butler scored on an error by Jalen Phillips. Then, Connor McKay (Kansas) had an RBI double that scored Noll. Lakeshore led 2-0.
University of Florida product Ryan Larson led off the second with a double off Growlers starter Dillon Haviland. Butler drove him in on a single, and the Chinooks took a 3-0 lead.
Kalamazoo scored two runs in the third. Catcher Ryan Lidge began the inning with a double off Pavlovich. He scored on a triple by Troy Montgomery. First baseman John Rubino had a single that brought Montgomery home. The score was 3-2 Chinooks.
In the bottom of the inning, Michael Morman (Valparaiso) was hit by Haviland. Luke Meeteer (UW-Milwaukee) drew a walk. Larson had a sacrifice fly that put another run on the scoreboard.
The Chinooks also scored in the fourth. Butler walked to lead off of the inning, before scoring his second run on a sac fly by Zack Bowers (Georgia).
G.J. Strauss (Florida Tech) relieved Pavlovich for one scoreless inning.
The game was temporarily delayed in the top of the eighth due to fog, but ultimately called after seven innings.
Haviland (2-3) took the loss for Kalamazoo. He surrendered five runs off seven hits. The lefty issued four walks.
The team will face the Kalamazoo Growlers again on Monday, June 23. They will take on the Battle Creek Bombers on Tuesday and Wednesday. Lastly, the Eau Claire Express will play the Chinooks at Kapco Park on Thursday and Friday.
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.
