Mequon, WI – The Lakeshore Chinooks offense scored a combined 26 runs in their games on Friday and Saturday, and the team looked to carry that over to Sunday as they faced the La Crosse Loggers. The club did just that, as they scored 12 runs, but that was not enough in their 13-12 loss in extra innings. 

The Chinooks got the scoring opened early with two runs in the top of the first. Leadoff batter Anthony Massicci (Canisius) led of the frame with a solo home run to get the festivities starter. The Lakeshore offense got their second run of the inning by drawing four walks, with Doug Kraeger (Richmond) coming home when Colby Fitch (Louisville) drew the bases-loaded walk. 

Nick Brown (Missouri State) got the spot start after previously pitching exclusively in relief for the Chinooks. He held the Loggers scoreless in the first but ran into trouble in the second. Brown gave up six runs in the frame, ultimately getting removed with two outs in favor of Lincoln Voss (Augustana). 

The Chinooks chipped away at the 6-2 deficit with a two-run fourth. The first two batters of the inning were retired, but the club loaded the bases after back-to-back singles hit by Massicci and Zarley Zalewski (Kent State) and a walk drawn by Kraeger. Massicci would actually come around to score on a balk while Lucas Raley (Lake Erie College) was at the plate in an at-bat that ultimately resulted in a walk. Jack Benninghoff (Arkansas) then drew a walk of his own to score Zalewski and make it a 6-4 game. Another run came in the top of the fifth, when Fitch was hit by a pitch and later came around to score on an RBI single off the bat of Zalewski.

Voss looked solid in the third and fourth innings, keeping the La Crosse offense at bay. In the fifth, however, he did not experience similar results, getting charged with two runs and being removed with just one out in the inning. He was replaced by Joe Stoll (Ohio State).

Stoll gave up a run of his own in the bottom of the sixth, letting the Logger lead extend to 9-5. He settled down after that, though, ultimately being charged with just the one run and firing 3.2 innings in relief.

The Chinooks scored a run in the top of the seventh to narrow their gap. This time it only took one swing thanks to Fitch, who began the inning with a solo home run to make it a three-run game. 

The offense struck again in the eighth, this time taking the lead. Kraeger singled with one out in the inning to start the threat, and the team put runners on second and third after Raley doubled. A single hit by Andrew Shaps (Arizona) then proceeded to bring home Kraeger and advance Raley to third. Greg Deichmann (Louisiana State) followed up with a base hit of his own to score Raley, and Fitch earned another RBI by singling home Shaps to tie the game. Deichmann than scored the go-ahead run when an errant pickoff attempt by the La Crosse catcher let him come home. 

The club got a couple of insurance runs in the top of the ninth. Raley was hit by a pitch, and Shaps then singled to put two on with one out. Raley would come around to score again on a Deichmann single, and Fitch doubled to bring in Shaps and make it a 12-9 ballgame. 

Chinooks manager Eddy Morgan brought in Connor Jones (Georgia) in relief of Stoll in the ninth to try to earn the save. He could not do so, however, letting up three runs, sending the game to extras. 

The Lakeshore offense was held scoreless in the top of the 10th, and the Chinooks brought in Jack Landwehr (Illinois State) for the bottom half of the inning. That was where the game would end, though, as Mason McCoy (Illinois Central College) doubled, advanced to third and came around to score on a wild pitch to lead the Loggers to the walk-off win. 

The Chinooks will return home on Monday for a game against the Battle Creek Bombers. 

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.