Wisconsin Rapids, WI – Following one game at home, the Chinooks set out on the road for a two-game road series in Wisconsin Rapids at Witter Athletic Field home of the 3-5 Rafters.
The Rafters took no time getting the scoring started in the bottom of the first inning. After allowing just 1 run in 4 innings of pitching last week, Parker Coyne started tonight’s game with just a 2.25 ERA on the season. After walking the first two Rafters batters, Jake Dunham drove in the games first run on a single scoring Richie Schiekofer. A home run from Anthony Galason quickly put the Rafters up 4-0. Coyne was locked in after that, not allowing a run for the next 5 innings.
Justin Olson’s 2nd home run of the season in the top of the second got the scoring started for the Chinooks. The offense got going in the third as Izaya Fullard reached on a walk and a Dalton Wingo single put them on 1st and 3rd, respectively. Griffin Doersching reached on a walk which loaded the bases for Cameron Hart. Hart took matters into his own hands as he cleared the bases as fans watched the ball clear the fence for a grand slam putting the Chinooks on top 5-4.
The defenses locked in for the next three innings as both teams went scoreless from the fourth through the sixth.
The game picked up again in the bottom of the seventh as the Rafters offense came back to life as Grant Hartwig relieved Parker Coyne on the mound. Hartwig quickly got the first two Rafters batters out, but a two-out two-run Josh Nicoloff home run put the Rafters in the lead 6-5.
But the Chinooks wouldn’t go away without a fight. Savier Pinales took the 10th pitch in the top of the ninth for a leadoff single in the ninth. A one-out double in the gap for Izaya Fullard put two runners in scoring position for the Chinooks. Pinelas scored as Dalton Wingo struck out swinging for the second out the inning. Griffin Doersching took the plate with two-out and Fullard in scoring position. A clutch two-out single by Doersching put the Chinooks ahead 7-6 in the top of the ninth.
Will Klein struck out two in the bottom of the ninth, put the finishing touches on the Chinooks 2nd win of the season, and earned a save in the process.
The Chinooks return to Witter Athletic Field for game two of the road series tomorrow night 6:35 PM against the Rafters. The Chinooks look to start a hot streak and dig themselves out of the last place spot in the Great Lakes West division.
The Lakeshore Chinooks are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. The Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 22 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, over 200 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.
