On Friday, the Lakeshore Chinooks battled to win 7-4 at Homer Stryker Field in Kalamazoo, Mich. They spoiled an early Growlers lead in front of 6,064 fans.
Kalamazoo took an early 3-0 lead in the first. Troy Montgomery drew a leadoff walk by Shaun Anderson (Florida). Second baseman Ryan Spaulding advanced to first on an error by Blake Butler (College of Charleston).
Montgomery scored on a sacrifice fly by Nick Yarnall. Anderson also gave up a double to Bryce Harmon and a single to Karl Sorensen, which both scored runs in the inning.
Spaulding reached again in the third with a base hit. He scored on a single by right fielder Jared Kujawa.
In the fourth, Jake Noll (Florida Gulf Coast) hit a single off Growlers starter Caleb Barager. Catcher Zack Bowers (Georgia) drove Noll in with a double.
Luke Meeteer (UW-Milwaukee) started the fifth with a walk. He advanced to second on his fourteenth stolen base. Barager then hit Carter White (Memphis) and subsequently issued a walk to Connor McKay (Kansas).
With no outs, Barager was replaced by Shane Bryant. Both White and McKay scored on a two-RBI double by Blake Butler.
Third baseman Brant Valach (Eastern Illinois) hit a go-ahead double in the seventh. The Chinooks led 5-4.
Meeteer reached base again with a single. Connor McKay hit a two-run homer off Joshua Buchalski. It was his first of the year.
The right-hander Anderson pitched four innings. He gave up four runs (two earned) off seven hits. He issued two walks and struck out two.
Lefty Connor Jones (Georgia) picked up his fourth relief win of the season. He came on for Anderson in the fifth. In three innings, he gave up no runs, walked three and had four strikeouts.
Chase Radan (UCLA) and Jake Tuttle (UW-Milwaukee) combined for a scoreless eighth inning.
Wright State pitcher Andrew Elliott continued to be lights out for the Chinooks. He pitched the ninth inning and recorded his eighth save of the year.
Caleb Barager (0-3) took the loss. The left-hander gave up four runs off two hits.
The team will play the Kalamazoo Growlers again today, Saturday, July 5 at 6:05 p.m. On Sunday, July 6, they will begin a two-game series versus the Green Bay Bullfrogs in Mequon. First pitch is scheduled for 5:05 p.m. This will start a six-game home stand for the Chinooks.
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.