Mequon, Wisconsin – After a 2-8 start to the 2022 season, the Chinooks have come back from the dead. With the win and a 2-game sweep against the Kenosha Kingfish, the Chinooks have got back to the .500 mark with a 14-14 record. Heading into the final week for the first half of the season, the Chinooks played their best game of the season with an imposing 16-0 win.
Eric Chalus was nearly unhittable starting on the mound for the Chinooks in Game 2 of the Fish Bowl Series. In his best start of the season, Chalus had six shutout innings and only gave up two hits. He also didn’t allow any walks and led the Chinooks pitching staff with 3 strikeouts. If it was a closer game, Chalus could’ve gone longer in his start as his pitch count didn’t reach 70 pitches. The 6’8” Kingfish starting pitcher Lin Chen-Wei looked like he would be in a pitcher’s duel with Chalus as the Chinooks had to deal with his mid-90s fastball.
The Chinooks offense didn’t get anything in the first, but it was a different story in the 2nd and 3rd innings. Everyone in the lineup got at least one plate appearance in the 2nd and they were unstoppable. A wild pitch and RBI walk by new addition Joey Spence started the scoring run to give the Chinooks a 2-0 lead. Later in the inning, Matt Deprey did what he always does and that’s driving in runs with a 2-RBI single. There’s no excuse for him to not represent the Chinooks at the Northwoods League All-Star Game in a couple of weeks.
Garrett Martin also chipped in with a 3-run blast over the left-center field wall that was a no-doubter. The Chinooks 7-run scoring outburst was one of the biggest scoring innings for the team this season. The Chinooks offense wasn’t as explosive in the bottom of the 3rd, but they still added runs to the blowout. John Bay hit an RBI single to keep his hot streak going and give the Chinooks an 8-0 lead. Tony Livermore struggled at the plate, but got an RBI groundout to make it 9-0. The Chinooks would get two more unearned runs in the 3rd to make it 11-0 just 1/3 into the game.
Martin got his team-leading 4th RBI on a groundout in the bottom of the 6th to help the Chinooks run differential. Four more runs were put on the board in the bottom of the 8th as Stephen Hrustich hit a 2-RBI double and Aiden Longwell hit a 2-run homer right after him. The Chinooks had their 2nd highest-scoring game of the season and their largest win of the season. This was also the Chinooks fourth shutout pitched in the 2022 season.
The Chinooks are now on a three-game winning streak and have won six of their last nine games. The team is only one game back of the Fond du Lac Dock Spiders for 2nd place in the Great Lakes West division. Wisconsin Rapids Rafters officially clinched the 1st Half division title, but the Chinooks will look to keep their positive momentum going to try and get a playoff spot in the 2nd half. The Chinooks head up to Wausau on Monday night to face the Woodchucks. First pitch is set for 6:35pm.
