Madison, Wis – Lakeshore’s pitching tonight left Madison hitters in a daze as they secured an important win on the road. The Chinooks (14-13) defeated the Mallards (7-22) 3-1 on Saturday night and held the Mallards to just three hits and one run. Coming off a no-decision game due to weather last night, the team traveled to Madison needing a win to move up in the playoff race. The win tonight helped Lakeshore to advance within two games of second place and a spot in the playoffs.
Xander Rojahn had a great showing for the Chinooks today, setting the tone for the game. Rojahn walked five batters but managed to come up big any time he faced adversity on the mound. Rojahn also made quick work of Madison hitters, striking out five in just four innings and giving up just one hit. He now has 39 strikeouts in 30 innings pitched this summer with a 3.30 ERA. Rojahn finished his evening going 4.0 IP, 1 H, 5 BB, and 5 SO.
After Rojahn exited, the Chinooks bullpen combined to shut out the Mallards in the last five innings of the game. Mitch Alba (W, 2-1) was next up and picked up right where Rojahn left off. Alba pitched two almost perfect innings while surrendering just one walk. Alba was instrumental in keeping the game tied until Lakeshore took the lead again in the sixth inning. Luke Llewellyn came in after to pitch a scoreless seventh inning, giving up one walk and striking out one batter. George Klassen (SV, 1) was tasked with closing the game out for the Chinooks, going to work in the eighth and ninth innings to help secure the win. Klassen finished with two innings pitched, conceding two hits but striking out five of the eight batters he faced.
Offesnively, the Chinooks were able to get crucial runs at the right time in a close game. The Chinooks were the first to strike scoring one run in the top of the first inning. With two outs, Nathan Aide delivered an RBI single to score Matt Deprey and put Lakeshore ahead 1-0. Madison would respond with their own score in the fourth. Chad McCann scored on a wild pitch to tie the game 1-1.
The sixth inning saw the Chinooks break free and score two more runs. After Nathan Aide walked with two outs, Bryant Diel hit an RBI double to drive him home. With Diel on second, Joey Spence hit his own RBI double to right field that scored Diel. This put the Chinooks up 3-1 heading into the final three frames.
Lakeshore’s bullpen did the rest of the heavy lifting and closed out the game. With the win tonight, the Chinooks move to 14-13 in the second half. With only nine games remaining this season, every game counts in a tight playoff race. The Chinooks will face the Mallards tomorrow at home with first pitch scheduled for 5:05pm.
