Tuesday night, the traveling Chinooks fell handily at the paws of the Woodchucks. Yet, with much different box score numbers, the same letters of ‘W’ and ‘L’ would be doled out Wednesday night to the Great Lakes West-leading Wausau Woodchucks (19-3) and Lakeshore Chinooks (10-11) after Wausau was more efficient with its scoring opportunities.

Lakeshore totaled just five runs on its 11 hits and three walks, also the beneficiary of two Woodchucks errors. The ‘Chucks, meanwhile, matched the Chinooks’ base on balls total but brought home seven runs on just six hits.

After both pitchers got through two needing less than 30 throws, the offenses took their turn running up the numbers. After a strikeout, Chinooks C and 9-hole batter Dominic Kibler kickstarted an explosive top of the third with a single onto the grass in left. Then, CF Prince Deboskie got in an advantageous 2-1 count the next at-bat.

He wouldn’t bat passively up in the count. The Arizona native clobbered a home run all the way to the Grand Canyon, bringing home Kibler to open the scoring. 2-0, Chinooks.

In the bottom of the third, the Woodchucks finally put a ball on the grass and it seemed to open the floodgates. Just like Lakeshore, ninth-hitting Jake Berland laid down a sac bunt to put a runner in scoring position for Wausau. And again like its counterpart, Wausau’s first-hitting Issac Webb drove in a run in the next at-bat.

But unlike the ‘Nooks, the Woodchucks were able to keep the train running. Wausau worked a walk, then brought Berkland’s brother Drew to plate. Down 0-2 in the count with two outs, Drew swatted a single to center and two runners ran home. 3-2, Woodchucks.

Chinooks SS Gabe Roessler continued his personal hot streak in the fourth with a double to center, giving him two straight two-hit games in central Wisconsin. Then after two walks, the bases were juiced for Kibler.

The marketing major sustained his better-than-advertised .500 OBP with the Chinooks, roping a single to right to tie it up at three. Two weak fly balls ended the threat for the ‘Nooks, though, stranding the bases loaded and seriously limiting the damage from the top of the Chinooks order.

Again in the Lakeshore half of the fifth, the bottom of the lineup strung together consecutive one-out hits, a proven model for run production in Northwoods League baseball. Roessler again did his job, this time using a 2-0 count to bash a pitch to the outfield grass, just far enough for 2B Brady Counsell to tag up and score on.

‘Nooks pitcher Seaver Sheets endured a strange fifth, again ceding the lead as the Woodchucks tied it up. Sheets hit two batters, and when Drew came to plate with two on, Webb captained a double steal to eliminate the double play ball.

Then in a show of pure athleticism, Webb stole home to knot the contest as a beautiful orange sun set behind the stadium.

In the bottom of the sixth, the Woodchucks went for three runs in their second such inning of the Wednesday evening affair. Webb earned his second RBI, adding to an already excellent series for Wausau.

Down three in the seventh, Lakeshore needed to get the bases active to jump its comeback attempt. Counsell singled to left and advanced to second on an error, and two batters later, Roessler got plunked to bring the tying run to the plate in DH Gene Trujillo. The shortstop stole second to move another runner into scoring position, but Trujillo couldn’t muster a hit, eliminating a great opportunity for the Chinooks.

In the eighth, LF Connor Hennings was in a similar two-on situation while hitting. But with just one out, he chopped one to third, a slow enough grounder to bring in the fifth and final run for Lakeshore.

Lakeshore again had the tying run at plate in Trujillo in the ninth, but with Roessler on second, the power-hitting lefty swung and missed, emblematic of the Chinooks’ relative struggles to bat in baserunners.

The 7-5 loss was the fourth time of the young 2024 season the ‘Nooks outhit their opponent and failed to win through 21 games. Most recently, Lakeshore had a 10-6 hit advantage against the Green Bay Rockers on June 10, but lost the game 5-3.

The Chinooks had runners in scoring position in six of their nine innings at the plate. They would go on to score in four of those six. Yet, it was two three-run outbursts from the Woodchucks that gave them enough offense for the victory.

There were plenty of positives to take from Wednesday’s loss in Wausau, and with two games tomorrow in Madison, the Chinooks have multiple chances to gain ground in the division as they pursue a playoff spot.

Game 1 of Thursday’s doubleheader at Warner Park in Madison, WI, starts at 12:05 p.m. (CST), and game 2 follows with a scheduled 6:35 p.m. first pitch.