Mequon, WI – Four hours and seven minutes after the first pitch between the Lakeshore Chinooks and Wisconsin Rapids Rafters was thrown, the Chinooks poured out of their home dugout and onto the field to celebrate an eleven-inning, walk-off thriller Friday night at Kapco Park.

With one out and a runner on third base, designated hitter Turner Buis drove a game-winning single to the right field wall, and the celebration began. The 10-9 victory ensures Lakeshore’s first series sweep since June 4-5 and first time winning consecutive games since June 5-6. Buis finished the night 3-for-6 with 2 runs batted in. Jim Govern, a late inning substitution into the game, scored the winning run after hitting a double to begin the 11th. Left-hander Luis Ferrer earned the win in relief.

The Chinooks scored in each of the first three innings to take a quick lead. All nine Lakeshore hitters stepped to the plate in a five-run first. Shortstop Jack Dunn’s leadoff double sparked the rally, and an RBI double from Buis and RBI single from second baseman Takahiro Yamada paced the big inning. Right fielder Andy Shadid and left fielder Cole Turney also drove in runs with productive outs.

The Rafters responded quickly, however, with a four-run inning against starting pitcher Brendan McGuigan in the top of the second. All four runs allowed were unearned, as a two-out error by third baseman Sebastian Holte-Mancera began a string of five consecutive baserunners for Wisconsin Rapids. A three-run double by the Rafters’ Brody Wooford highlighted the bounce-back inning for the visitors.

The Chinooks scored a run in the bottom of the second and added two more in the third thanks to a throwing error to extend their lead to 8-4. McGuigan ran into trouble again, however, in the top of the fifth inning, when inconsistent command allowed Wisconsin Rapids to again creep back into the contest.

Two walks and a hit batsmen plated a run for Wisconsin Rapids, and McGuigan exited the game with the bases loaded and none out. Left-hander Kyle Huckaby relieved McGuigan, but all three inherited runners scored and by the time Huckaby retired the side, the Rafters had tied the game at eight.

McGuigan’s four-inning outing was his second shortest of the summer, and his eight total runs and four earned runs allowed were both season-highs. Since beginning the season with 19 consecutive scoreless innings pitched, the right-hander has a 10.80 earned run average in his last two starts. McGuigan threw at least five innings each in his first three starts of the year, but he’s lasted only five innings combined in his last two outings.

The game remained tied until the bottom of the seventh inning, when first baseman Ronald Sweeny drove in Buis with a single to put Lakeshore back on top, 9-8. The Chinooks’ one-run lead held until the top of the ninth inning. Nick Campe took the mound for Lakeshore in the ninth, looking to nail down his third save of the week. A leadoff walk and one-out triple, however, spoiled Campe’s outing, and the Rafters again evened the score, this time at nine. The Chinooks went down in order in the bottom of the inning, sending Lakeshore into extra innings for the first time this season.

The Chinooks hit the road for a two-game set against the Wisconsin Woodchucks in Wausau. The weekend series will will be the first time Lakeshore has played the Woodchucks this season. Jacob Lindemann will take the ball for the Chinooks in game one, with first pitch set for 6:35 p.m. on Saturday. Lindemann is 1-2 with a 8.79 ERA in three starts and six appearances this year. His last outing, however, he pitched a season-high 5 1/3 innings and allowed two runs in his first victory of the summer.

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.