Mequon, WI – The Lakeshore Chinooks defeated the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters on Thursday, and the teams squared off again on Friday. The Chinooks went for the sweep, and they did just that, defeating the Rafters 13-8. 

The Chinooks quickly jumped out to a lead in the top of the first. Anthony Massicci (Canisius) led off the inning with a walk, and he came around to score as part of a two-run home run off the bat of Lucas Raley (Lake Erie College), his 14th long ball of the season. 

The Rafters did not take long to score a run of their own, however. Facing Chinooks starter Zac Lowther (Xavier), Wisconsin Rapids plated a run of their own in the bottom of the first, making it 2-1 at that point. 

Lakeshore regained the two-run lead in the top of the second. This came via another homer, this time off the bat of Greg Deichmann (Louisiana State), who hit his third homer of the year, a solo shot. The team kept things going in the third, plating another run. Massicci reached base on an error, and then Jake Romano (Miami-Ohio) walked and Doug Kraeger (Richmond) singled. Raley then earned his third RBI of the night, driving in Massicci with an RBI single. 

Wisconsin Rapids narrowed the gap in the top of the fourth, however, bringing in two more runs off of Lowther. The Chinooks took that to heart, though, breaking out for a huge top of the fourth. 

The Lakeshore offense brought in six runs in the frame to break the game open. Jack Benninghoff (Arkansas) and Deichmann led off the inning with back-to-back walks, and a single from Eric Fasnacht (Concordia- St. Paul) brought home Benninghoff for the first run. David Edson (USC) proceeded to reach base on an error, driving in Deichmann, and Massicci followed up with a single to score Fasnacht. After Kraeger walked, Raley continued his hot night with a double to bring in both Massicci and Edson. Colby Fitch (Louisville) then hit into a groundout, but it brought in Kraeger to score. Altogether, the Chinooks scored six runs in the inning, making it a 10-3 ballgame. 

Lowther game back out for the fifth, letting up another run. That was the final inning he pitched as he allowed four runs, two earned, on five hits while striking out five. He was replaced by Jack Landwehr (Illinois State). Landwehr certainly did his job, firing two shutout innings. 

The Chinooks offense could not be stopped, and they scored another run in the top of the sixth. This was again thanks to another homer, this time courtesy of a solo shot from Massicci. Two more runs came in the top of the ninth when Deichmann slammed his second home run of the game, bringing in Benninghoff, who had reached on a fielder's choice earlier in the inning. 

Andrew Shaps (Arizona State) was the final reliever that the Chinooks used. He held Wisconsin Rapids scoreless in the eighth. Back out in the ninth, he gave up four runs, though only one was earned. Those were meaningless, however, as the Chinooks finished the game with a 13-8 victory. 

The Lakeshore squad will now travel to La Crosse for a two-game series against the Loggers beginning on Saturday. 

The Northwoods League is the proven leader in the development of elite college baseball players. The 21 year old summer collegiate 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 120 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (CWS), Jordan Zimmermann (WAS), Curtis Granderson (NYM), Lucas Duda (NYM) and Ben Zobrist (OAK). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League website. For more information, visit www.lakeshorechinooks.com.