Traverse City – After falling in a low-scoring affair last night to the Pit Spitters, Lakeshore looked to stay above .500 as they played the second game of the series.
Lakeshore threatened right away in the first with two outs, back-to-back hits by Outlaw and Hunt, put two in scoring position. However, Daly was able to pitch himself out of the jam.
Daly would have a strong outing for Traverse City, but Lakeshore broke the ice in the fourth, the only run either starting pitcher gave up. Again with two outs, Lakeshore got back-to-back hits, but this time able to push across their first run of the game. A double by Kibler, followed by a Von Schlegell single into center was deep enough to plate a run off the short two-out rally.
Seaver Sheets, son of Brewers’ Ben Sheets, got the ball for the second time as a member of the Chinooks. Sheets pitched first on his first day in Mequon, with little time to prepare for the outing. This time, with a week’s worth of time to adjust and adapt, Sheets came out dealing. He would allow just three men to reach through the first 5 innings, the only hits he gave up in his six innings of work.
The bottom of the sixth, after striking out the first two men he faced Sheets lost his command and pitched himself into a jam. He walked the next three men to load up the bases bringing up a hot-hitting designated hitter, Kattula. Seaver needed just four pitches to spit him out and sit him down to finish the outing without allowing a run. A dramatic turn-around from the 5 runs he allowed in his first debut.
A low-scoring, pitching duel that Lakeshore led into the 7th when Libeau was handed the ball on the mound. The first two men he faced got on via a single and walk before he got the pinch-hitting Tchavdarov to pop out to him on a bunt attempt. Piasecki replaced Reed who was 0-2 in the game accounting for two of Sheets’ strikeouts. He singled on the second pitch he saw down the line in right, pushing across the tying run and ending Libeau’s night after getting just one out. Tyler Deleskiewicz came in relief and needed just three pitches to work out of the inning and keep the game even.
Deleskiewicz would find himself in his own tough-inning in the eighth, walking the bases loaded, but striking out three in the inning to escape with no damage.
Lakeshore found themselves in another two-out spot trying to manufacture a run when Deboskie reached on a walk. After a failed pickoff attempt sailed into right field allowing Deboskie to reach third. Roessler added another walk to the Chinooks total before a wild pitch plated Deboskie with Outlaw at the plate. The run put the ‘Nooks up 2-1. In Sam Hunt’s at bat, he attacked on a second pitch that stayed over the plate, driving it over the fence, but it hooked just foul and the lead stayed 2-1.
Lakeshore took their one-run lead into the ninth and Mike Sullivan shut the door on the Pit Spitters’ in just 12 pitches.
With the win, the Chinooks’ stay above .500, moving to 5-4 on the season. They return home for a stretch that sees 7 of the ‘Nooks next 8 games at Moonlight Graham Field in Mequon.
Friday’s game is under the lights with a 6:35pm (CST) first pitch against the Wausau Woodchucks whose undefeated season came to an end following a 4-3 loss in Fon du lac tonight.
Article written by Sam Marchant.
