Mequon, WI – A start to a rainy afternoon turned into a celebration for the Chinooks after Michael Seegers drove in the winning run in the 12th inning to give the Chinooks their first home win against the Dock Spiders with a final score of 9-8.
The Chinooks (3-8) had remarkable defensive plays by Caleb Bartolero in his Chinook debut, as he threw out back-to-back runners on the steal to second base in the second inning. Bartolero continued to stop the Dock Spiders (8-3) from advancing as in the top of the sixth inning he threw out his third base runner at first to end the inning.
The Chinooks started off with the lead with a Matthew Deprey home run, but it was short-lived as the Dock Spiders took a 2-1 lead in the third inning.
The Dock Spiders continued to add on to their lead. Adding four runs off three hits in a nine-batter inning in the top of the fourth after the Chinooks stranded two on base to end the inning in a 6-1 ball game.
A two-run home run to left field by none other than Bartolero in his second at-bat as a Chinook forced a pitching change for the Dock Spiders. The Chinooks shrunk the Docks Spiders’ lead to two runs after Bryce Stober beat out an infield single off a Dock Spider error bringing home Josh Johnson after his two-out double in the bottom of the fourth.
The Dock Spiders took advantage of two Chinook errors in the fifth inning putting a run on the board. Errors once again tripped up the Chinooks in the top of the sixth putting them behind 8-4.
The Chinooks started the seventh inning with a leadoff single by Seegers followed by a four-pitch walk by Caden Kaiser. Deprey continued to make an impact at the plate with a two-run double that bounced right in front of the fence scoring Seegers and Kaiser to bring the Chinooks within two.
Mitch Mueller (0-0, 0.00 ERA) entered the game for the Chinooks in the top of the eighth and sat the Dock Spiders down in order, sending the Chinook bats to the plate. Mueller pitched four innings recording seven strikeouts and no runs on one hit.
With Victor Lara on third after he was moved around the bases after his leadoff single to left field, Kaiser faced a new pitcher for the Dock Spiders and brought in Lara with a single to left field. The Chinooks attempted to take the lead by bringing Seegers around, but he couldn’t beat the throw to home plate.
The Dock Spiders entered in what everyone thought would be the final inning with a one run lead, but Josh Firestone had different plans. Firestone tied the game with a leadoff home run to right field in the bottom of the ninth inning.
The first two extra innings for the Dock Spiders were quick in order shutdowns by the Chinooks. For the Chinooks it was quite the opposite. The Chinooks found themselves with bases loaded in the bottom of the 10th inning, but the runners were stranded after a full count strike out.
Headed into the bottom of the 12th inning and 15 minutes before the stadium lights shut off at Moonlight Graham Field at Kapco Park, the Dock Spiders brought in a new pitcher. Lara started off the inning with a bunt to the pitcher to move Stober to third. Marcus Cline was intentionally walked for the second time in extra innings and the bases were loaded. Seegers with two strikes lightly knocked the ball over the heads of the infield into shallow right field to bring the winning run home, sending the Chinooks dug out to storm the field in the 9-8 victory over the Dock Spiders.
“Coach told me he was a heavy slider guy, so I was just sitting on a slider and got to two strikes and just wanted to shorten my swing down and try to get something in play,” said Seegers.
Mueller and Calvin Bickerstaff (0-2, 2.25 ERA), who came in at the top of the 12th, combined a total of 10 strikeouts in the last three innings as the Dock Spiders were held to one hit since the sixth inning.
Seegers was one of many from the Chinooks who had a multi-hit night. Deprey, Bartolero and Johnson all had multi-hits.
The Chinooks are back at home Saturday as they take on the Dock Spiders once again at 6:35p.m.
