ROCKFORD, Il. — For the second straight game, Lakeshore fell in extra innings via an opponent walk-off. Tonight, it was the Rockford Rivets (17-12) knocking off the Chinooks (9-19) 6-5 in the 10th after speedster Bradley White (Eckerd College) came around to score on a wild pitch. The Rockford win gives them a 2-1 lead in the season series of the Wisconsin-Illinois border battle.

In what’s been a troubling second half at times, tonight was the epitome of a tough-nosed fight. The Chinooks kept it close early with two scoreless innings from starter Zach Slome (Concordia University Wisconsin) before Rockford finally broke through the surface for a run in the third.

But with an immediate reply, Chinooks’ second baseman Ty Wisdom (Kansas) and designated hitter Griffin Cameron (Kentucky) singled to give the visitors two on with nobody gone. Catcher Brady Katterhagen (UW-Platteville) put on his businessman suit and got the job done with a groundout to score Wisdom and advance Cameron. Then, first baseman Caleb Karll (Ohio) singled to center to give Lakeshore a 2-1 lead.

Rockford returned serve with a strong inning of its own, too, in the fourth, one that plated three runs. Two runs came in on a bases-loaded double that pushed the screws’ lead to 4-2.

Lakeshore showed its resolve right away in the fifth. Left fielder Dominic Kibler (Kent State) singled on the first pitch, and with third baseman Ethan Hindle (Kentucky) at the plate, Kibler stole second. Hindle then hammered a double to left to score his running mate. And with Hindle on the keystone, just like Kibler, Wisdom ambushed the first pitch, scoring Hindle and bringing the score to a 4-4 draw.

From there, it was a dominant pitching performance from left-hander Isaiah Terrell (College of Lake County) as he tossed 2.2 IP of one-hit baseball, tallying 3 ‘Ks along the way. The only hit he allowed was a single to the pitcher.

In the eighth, the Chinooks brought their best scoring threat onto second base with two outs. Cameron, the Chinooks’ steal leader in 2024, appeared ready to run home on anything that touched the outfield grass, but Karll popped out on an over-aggressive swing.

Enter the tenth. With the Northwoods League using the runner-on-second extra-innings rule and quick-footed leadoff man Tristan Ellis (UW-Milwaukee) on, Kibler laid down a perfect bunt to put Chinooks on the corners with no outs. Hindle singled Ellis in, continuing the threat, but after that, the offense ran dry.

After the first Rivet up to bat knotted it at five, Rockford pinch ran for the hitter with White. The 5’10” junior had 17 SB in the Northwoods League last year and made sure to take second early in the next plate appearance. With two outs, White made the two winning plays of the game with two advancements, the second of which sent Lakeshore to its second straight walk-off defeat after it lost in the eighth of game two of Friday’s doubleheader.

The tough-luck loss stings, but players and Chinook fans will certainly enjoy Sunday’s soon-to-be Gold-medal-worthy performance — one where fans are treated to Gold Medal Gill bobbleheads. First pitch of the last border battle of 2024 against Rockford is set for 1:05 p.m. (CST) at Moonlight Graham Field.

Article written by David Jacobs.