Saturday was a dominant 9-0 team victory for the Lakeshore Chinooks (10-8). Six spectacular innings from starter Cohen Achen saw the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters (7-11) fall into a five-run hole, and then Lakeshore posted four more runs to knock out its division rival handily.

On the road, the Chinooks started off strong, nearly scoring leadoff man AJ Garcia in the first. Then Achen set down the Rafters in order to keep the chain moving.

And just like the first, Lakeshore threatened in the second, bringing five to plate once again. Yet, two more runners were stranded.

Achen entered Saturday with a 2.57 ERA, and he did his best to lower the already stellar number. Rafters DH Max Mcgwire singled off the righty on the first pitch, but Achen retired the side afterwards to erase the baserunner.

Then, Lakeshore broke through in a big way. In the top of the third, Chinooks RF Joey Nerat worked a full-count walk to put two on with no outs. DH Connor Hennings wanted his share of the fun. The righty pulled a double to left, pounding in two runs in the process.

SS Gabe Roessler, swinging a hot bat lately, took his place at second, matching his double to left and extending the Chinooks’ lead to three runs. The speedy UW-Milwaukee product then stole third base and gave 2B Ty Wisdom his turn. Wisdom smacked a sacrifice fly, giving Roessler ample time to scamper home and putting Lakeshore up four.

In the top of the fourth, with one out, 1B Mason Schwalbach earned a bases-load walk to add on.

On the other side of the bump, Achen continued to dominate. He mowed down the Rafters in the third and fourth, needing just 21 pitches to get through six outs.

The Calgary native didn’t allow a runner to reach scoring position until the fifth inning, but once he did, he induced a groundout to tally five scoreless.

Then, in the sixth, the ‘Nooks showed they can play more than small ball. Nerat, the Dallas Baptist outfielder, smashed a home run by his fielding position, putting Lakeshore up 6-0.

Schwalbach followed with another dinger two batters later. There was nothing small about it. He sent a mistake straight over the center field wall.

Achen came out once again in the sixth and efficiently closed his outing. A double play ball helped his case, and then he finished his day with a ‘K’.

The senior needed just 75 pitches to get through six scoreless on the mound. He only faced four batters over the minimum during his superb outing.

Lakeshore returned to plate in the seventh and added insult to injury. The top of the lineup scraped across two more runs and extended the advantage to 9-0.

Reliever Evan Shapiro struggled slightly in his outing. He needed 31 pitches to get through the seventh and couldn’t make it through a batter in the eighth.

It was the second straight day the Chinooks got out to a 9-0 lead, but after losing a large lead Friday, Lakeshore locked in and ended it without a doubt behind Gabriel Cook.

The 6’4″ lefty tossed two innings to close the game for the ‘Nooks, maintaining the nine-run difference.

For Lakeshore, the 9-0 result stamped victories in three straight games and four of the last five. The Rafters also continued their first-half spiral, dropping their fifth in a row.

The Chinooks go for two straight sweeps tomorrow, playing Father’s Day baseball Sunday afternoon at 1:05 p.m. (CST) in game 2 at Witter Field in Wisconsin Rapids, WI.