Mequon, WI – The Lakeshore Chinooks offense has been on fire lately, and that continued with a 13-run outbreak against the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters. The club picked up right where they left off on Saturday against the La Cross Loggers, jumping out early en route to a 13-7 win.
After their hot night on Friday, the Chinooks kept rolling by jumping on the board early in this one with a four-run first. Zarley Zalewski (Kent State) got the festivities going, smacking a one-out double. Doug Kraeger (Richmond) walked to put two baserunners on, and Lucas Raley (Lake Erie College) proceeded to smack a double of his own to bring in Zalewski. Greg Deichmann (Louisiana State), fresh off a two-homer night on Friday, stayed hot by slamming a double as well to plate both Raley and Kraeger. The club scored their fourth run of the inning courtesy of Mark Kolozsvary (Florida), who singled in Deichmann.
The offense was hardly done there as they came out for an even-bigger second. Drake Parker (Vanderbilt) led things off with a single, and Anthony Massicci (Canisius) followed up with a base hit of his own. Zalewski then hit his second double of the night, bringing in Parker and advancing Massicci to third. Kraeger then grounded into a fielder's choice, but it brought in Massicci for the club's second run of the inning. Raley kept things going, singling to score Zalewski.
Jack Benninghoff (Arkansas) loaded the bases after being hit by a pitch, and Deichmann earned another RBI by drawing a bases-loaded walk to score Kraeger. A base knock off the bat of Andrew Shaps (Arizona State) brought in Raley, and Parker hit a sacrifice fly to score Benninghoff. After Massicci walked, Zalewski then doubled again, his second of the inning and third of the game, to bring in three runs in Deichmann, Shaps and Massicci. Altogether, it was a nine-run frame for the Lakeshore offense to give them 13 runs in just the first two innings of the game.
Marshall Kasowski (Houston) was the starter for the Chinooks. He gave up runs in the first and third innings, ultimately throwing three frames. He was charged with those two runs, though one was unearned, while striking out five. Presumably to limit his innings with his upcoming appearance in Tuesday's Major League Dreams showcase, he was replaced by Lake Bachar (UW-Whitewater) in the fourth.
The story was similar for Bachar, who is normally a starter, as he too will be in Tuesday's showcase. He gave up three runs in the fourth inning to let the Loggers narrow the gap to 13-5. Bachar gave up one more in the seventh, and that was his final inning. He gave up four runs, three earned, in 4.0 innings while striking out four and walking one.
He was replaced by Teddy Klingsporn (Luther College) in the eighth. He was charged with one run in the frame before holding the Loggers scoreless in the ninth.
The Chinooks did not score again after the second, but that hardly mattered after their success early in the game. The contest finished with a score of 13-7 after the Loggers could not muster the potent offensed\ need to overcome the early deficit.
The Chinooks will take on La Crosse again on Sunday before returning home to Kapco Park on Monday.
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.
