MEQUON, Wis. — A day after two drastically different wins — a clean 1-0 line and a massive 12-10 comeback win in game two — the Lakeshore Chinooks (8-14) fell behind too early to the Kokomo Jackrabbits (7-16) and fell 8-6 despite a three-run ninth. Kokomo’s 8-1 lead proved insurmountable as the Jackrabbits were efficient on offense despite striking out 12 times against Lakeshore pitchers.

The Jackrabbits matched the theme of the game quickly after putting the first two hitters of the game on without a ball in play, and then after a strikeout on a Connor Brooks (Jacksonville State) breaking ball, the away team went up 2-0.

In response, Chinooks center fielder Griffin Cameron (.381 AVG) singled and All-Star catcher Dominic Kibler (Kent State) walked. Then, with two outs, the Kentucky outfielder led a successful double steal, and he got such a good break that the only potential play was at second. Both speedsters stole safely. Right fielder Ty Wisdom (Kansas) made good on the runners in scoring position when he hit one on the barrel to right to score two.

“They put up two early runs, so getting those back right away really helped us out in digging back into the game,” shortstop Brady Counsell (Kansas) said.

Yet, early offense seemed to be a point of emphasis for the Jackrabbits, who scored two more in the second. They were efficient with their baserunners all night, scoring 8/15 (53.3%) of batters who reached base safely.

For Kokomo, the third was even more explosive than the first two innings. After a Chandler Tuupo (.426 OPS) double off the bottom of the wall in left, another 2-RBI hit extended the Jackrabbit lead to four runs. Reliever Sam Larson (Denison University) tossed a breaking ball swing-and-miss that made a Kokomo hitter fling his bat to the on-deck circle to settle in, but the damage was done.

“I tell our pitchers we gotta establish the tone early in the game because those first three innings are really important,” manager Mitch Rogers said. “Once you lose it, it’s really hard to get it back.”

The Chinooks made a strong attempt to get it back in the third. Kibler reached base on an error and sprinted to second just in time to evade the tag, and Counsell immediately stung a single into right field. But, the quick catcher (8 SB this summer) got caught at the plate. After that, momentum seemed firmly on the Kokomo side. Left fielder Joey Nerat was retired, and Brady Counsell got caught in a pickle and was tagged out.

In a highlight-reel fourth inning, the leadoff Jackrabbit swatted a no-doubt home run over the Johnson Financial Backyard Patio before Larson lanced a standing strikeout of the beer batter — earning the crowd half-priced brews for the remainder of the inning. Nerat followed with an excellent full-speed snag in shallow left field, and the righty slid an off-speed pitch for a ‘K to finish the top of the frame.

Lakeshore didn’t string together hits again until the fifth after Cameron and Kibler both pulled singles to right. Yet, Jackrabbits starter Brennan Cohen (UW-Eau Claire) remained on his heater and induced a fly out to end the threat.

Larson added two more strikeouts in a scoreless sixth to close his book, going 3.2 IP with 5 Ks in his first outing in Lakeshore colors.

“He has really good stuff, he had (good vertical movement) on his fastball and a good curveball to go off it, and he was locating strikes, which is the biggest thing,” Brady Counsell said.

After Larson, fellow righty and former Madison Mallard Ben Kasten (Madison College) faced the minimum in the seventh to keep Kokomo within reach. Then, in the top of the eighth, three batters got on before the 6’3″ hurler could get a second out, and the Jackrabbits made the lead 8-2 with a swinging bunt single. Kasten replied with two strikeouts but the Chinooks fell down six.

Then, a two-out rally wrestled some momentum Lakeshore’s way. After Nerat walked, the five-tool player (4 HR, 15 SB) nabbed second. Wisdom earned a free 90 feet of his own, and Nerat later came around to score on an error, cutting the Kokomo lead to five.

Finally in the ninth, the ‘Nooks made a massive rally. Second baseman Jack Counsell beat out an infield single, and designated hitter Nash Rippen used a compact swing to poke a double down the left field line. Rippen’s swing made the deficit just a grand slam. This is where things got fun. Cameron earned a four-pitch walk, and then Kibler saw four straight balls go by, too, chasing the pitcher. At one point, the Jackrabbits had thrown 1o straight balls without recording an out in the inning.

With nobody out and the bases full of Chinooks in the final frame, Brady Counsell worked a long at-bat full. After a few fouls, the Kansas infielder clubbed a clutch 2-RBI single to center. That was all Lakeshore could muster in terms of a comeback, as the hosts admirably scored four straight and had the tying run on base after falling down big.

After an 8-6 Saturday night loss to a surprisingly (offensively) efficient Kokomo club, the Chinooks get a chance at revenge Sunday afternoon at 1:05 p.m. (CST) at Moonlight Graham Field.

Article written by David Jacobs. Image by Chloe Bowers.