Rockford, IL – Entering play Monday, the Lakeshore Chinooks were just 1-11 when trailing after five innings. When the Rockford Rivets scored the game’s first run in the bottom of the fifth and led 1-0, the Chinooks faced familiar territory: a close, low-scoring game that Lakeshore trailed in the middle innings. This time, however, the Chinooks flipped the script.

A two-out rally and some opportunistic baserunning helped Lakeshore get on the board and take the lead the very next half inning. Right fielder Connor Kimple and second baseman DJ Lee struck out to begin the inning, but shortstop Jack Dunn reached base with two outs after being hit by a pitch.

First baseman Ryan Sweeny drew a walk to push Dunn into scoring position at second base. With catcher Christian Boulware at the plate, Dunn took off for third base on a 2-2 pitch. Boulware chopped the ball toward the hole on the left side of the infield and reached first base on an infield single. Thanks to Dunn’s head start on the pitch, the speedy shortstop scored from second to tie the game at one. Third baseman Dallas Beaver followed with an RBI single to left field to plate Sweeny and put the Chinooks ahead, 2-1.

Starting pitcher Austin Jones returned to the mound for the bottom of the sixth and the Chinooks’ bullpen held the Rivets scoreless for the next 3 2/3 innings to seal the 2-1 victory.

Jones didn’t allow a hit until there were two outs in the fifth. He walked six and struck out a season-high seven batters. The effort earned the right-hander his first victory of the season in five starts. The win was the Chinooks’ first with Jones on the mound this summer.

Relief pitchers James Wright IV and Joe Gahm each induced double plays in the sixth, and eighth innings, respectively. Nick Campe worked around a lead-off single in the ninth inning to earn his second game of the season.

Campe is one of five Chinooks to record a save this season. He and Brandon Komar are tied with the team lead in saves with two each. Lakeshore’s bullpen, which has floundered at times in blowout games this season, continues to get the job done when tasked with protecting a lead. The Chinooks are now 10-0 this year when leading entering the ninth inning.

Lakeshore’s offense again struggled to create consistent scoring opportunities. Aside from their two-run sixth inning, the Chinooks got multiple runners on base in just one additional inning, the ninth. Left fielder Sebastian Holte-Mancera stranded two runners in scoring position when he struck out to end the top of the ninth, missing an opportunity to extend Lakeshore’s lead.

The Chinooks return home Tuesday looking for their first two-game series sweep since June 4-5. Brendan McGuigan will start on the mound for Lakeshore against the Rivets. In four starts this season, he’s 1-1 with a 0.90 ERA. First pitch at Kapco Park is at 6:35 p.m.

The Lakeshore Chinooks are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. Now in its 25th anniversary season, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 20 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 190 former Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist (CHC) and Brandon Crawford (SFG) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (BOS), Jordan Zimmermann (DET) and Curtis Granderson (TOR).  All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League portal. For more information, visit www.lakeshorechinooks.com or download the new Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play and set the Chinooks as your favorite team.