Mequon, WI – The Lakeshore Chinooks were defeated in a resumed game with the La Crosse Loggers on Thursday afternoon, and they had a quick turnaround as they played La Crosse again 30 minutes after the end of the resumed game. This contest was shortened to seven innings,
The Chinooks jumped on La Crosse starter Zach Lewis (Wabash Valley College) early, scoring two runs in the bottom of the first. Anthony Massicci (Canisius) singled to begin the frame, and Lucas Raley (Lake Erie College) reached on a single of his own. Both runners were then driven in by Colby Fitch (Louisville), who smacked a base hit down the right field line.
The team came right back into the bottom of the second to widen their lead to 4-0. Andrew Shaps (Arizona State) smacked a single with one out in the frame, and Massicci later walked to put two on with two outs. The big hit came from Zarley Zalewski (Kent State), who doubled to bring home Shaps and Massicci. The team had a chance to really break things open after loading the bases when Raley walked and Doug Kraeger (Richmond) was hit by a pitch, but they stranded all three runners.
The offense kept things going in the third, scoring another run. Greg Deichmann (Louisiana State) reached base thanks to an error from Loggers second baseman Jordan Zimmerman (Mesa Community College). Lakeshore then put runners on first and third when Jake Romano (Miami-Ohio) singled. Deichmann then scored after stealing home. It was not a straight steal, rather he scored when the Loggers tried to pick off Romano and got him into a rundown, but it still gets credited as a steal of home.
The Chinooks sent ace Marshall Kasowski (Houston), who entered play with a 1.39 ERA, to the mound for the start. He looked great for the first four innings, giving up just two hits and holding the La Crosse lineup scoreless. The fifth inning, however, was a different story. Kasowski allowed the bases to be loaded with one out, and the first run of the frame scored on an error from third baseman Zalewski. Kasowski let up an RBI single to Will Savage (Columbia) to make it 2-0, and he was chased from the game when a two-RBI single from Jordan Zimmerman (Mesa Community College) gave La Crosse their third and fourth runs of the inning.
Kasowski was replaced by Jake Tuttle (UW-Milwaukee) with runners on first and third, but the bleeding continued. Tuttle gave up a single to Alex Merritt (North Florida), scoring Savage to tie the game at five runs apiece. Back out in the sixth, Tuttle allowed the go-ahead run on a Mason McCoy (Illinois Central College) RBI triple. Tuttle stayed on for the seventh, letting the game get broken open by giving La Crosse three more runs to make it 9-5.
La Crosse held the Chinooks scoreless in the bottom of the seventh, and with the game being shortened given that the teams already played earlier in the day, that would be Lakeshore's last chance as they fell 6-5. The Chinooks and Loggers will battle again on Friday at Kapco Park. Lakeshore then goes on the road to take on La Crosse again in a two-game series.
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 draws 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 120 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WSH) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (CWS), Jordan Zimmermann (WSH), Curtis Granderson (NYM), Lucas Duda (NYM) and Ben Zobrist (OAK). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League portal. For more information visit www.lakeshorechinooks.com.
