MEQUON, Wis. — Griffin Cameron’s “olympic speed”, as manager Mitch Rogers says, changes games.

In his first at-bat, Cameron (Kentucky) hit a routine single to center. But after an aggressive turn around first, he sprinted into second — beating an accurate throw with a low slide — for a hustle double. He would come around to score easily on a sac fly, tapping into his speed. His next time up, with two outs and a runner on third, Cameron sprinted out an infield single to second, tying the game at two.

Those were just two of his immeasurably important plays for the Lakeshore Chinooks (10-19) as they sprinted to an 11-5 victory over the Rockford Rivets (17-13). In the win, Cameron stole two bases as he led the mad dash of the salmon, who stole five bases.

“Griffin’s the flash,” said Chinooks and Kentucky Wildcats teammate Ethan Hindle.

The Chinooks ran rampant on the diamond Sunday afternoon, consistently creating havoc with their hit-and-run and other early, attacking base-running.

For Lakeshore, the dominant offensive outing was bolstered by another strong start for “the most consistent pitcher of the second half” Michael Gray (Denison).

“I love Mikey,” Cameron said of Gray, who lowered his ERA to a minuscule 2.27. “He’s been great for us.”

After some bad-luck two-out offense gave Rockford a 2-1 lead, the southpaw landed a breaking ball for a backwards ‘K of the Rivets’ beer batter, bringing half-priced beer as he earned a standing ovation from the Lakeshore crowd.

In the Chinooks’ second, Cameron notched an RBI as he beat out the throw from second for an infield single. Cameron then stole 90 feet, tying a Lakeshore record for stolen bases in a single season.

“Every time he gets on first, I just kinda bank on him being on second in the first three pitches,” Rogers said of Cameron.

Leading off the bottom of the third, Hindle commenced a rally with a full count walk. Chinooks’ catcher and All-Star Dominic Kibler (Kent State) then cranked a double to right center to re-tie it at three. After a walk and stolen base, left fielder Tristan Ellis (UW-Milwaukee) exhibited a one-out hitting clinic with a high chopper to short, scoring the third run of the inning as Lakeshore jumped out to a 5-3 lead.

Gray went effectively into the fifth before facing more two-out trouble, which seemed to be the Rivets’ only offense. After an infield single, the Rivets rocked a double to right and earned a full count walk to load the bases. But Gray ended his outing without giving up any runs in the fifth as he retired the side.

The left-hander completed 5.0 IP with only 1 ER as he allowed just five baserunners to reach base safely. Gray also added 4 ‘Ks.

In the bottom of the sixth after Rockford tied it up, the Chinooks screwed in the Rivets’ fate. Like Hindle in the third, the left fielder walked, scampering to second with Cameron batting. The lefty beat out his second infield single of the day before he too stole second.

Cameron’s sixth-inning swipe was his 35th of the season as the Kentucky freshman broke the single-season Chinooks record for stolen bases, passing former Lakeshore shortstop Michael Seegers.

The Chinooks said ‘records, schmecords’ as they wasted no time reminiscing on Cameron’s major accomplishment. Second fielder Ty Wisdom (Kansas) knocked a single through the hole into right field, scoring Ellis and then Cameron on a face-first slide. Hindle then hammered a mistake to make it four straight Chinooks to reach safely. With the bases loaded, third baseman Billy Scaldeferri (Grand Canyon) then drew a bases-loaded walk to make it 8-5, Lakeshore. By the end of the sixth, the Chinooks had ballooned the lead to 10-5.

In the seventh, a hectic play resulted in Rivets’ speed demon TJ Williams (Heartland Community College) tripling to left then getting thrown out at home on a left-to-third-to-home relay. The play maintained Lakeshore’s momentum and gave right-hander Zak Rasener (IU-Southeast) a chance to settle into the first of his two shutout frames.

Then for Lakeshore, Hindle got bean-balled. He shook it off quickly as he bolted to second for the fifth Lakeshore steal of the day before scoring later in the inning on a sac fly. Hindle’s plunk was the sixth of seven on the day for ‘Nooks batters.

“Good teams have to pitch inside to beat good hitters,” Rogers said of the hit-by-pitches. “If it’s coming at us, we’re gonna wear it.”

Rasener tossed a scoreless eighth before fellow right-hander Sam Larson (Denison) kept the Rivets off the scoreboard in the ninth. The bullpen went 4.0 IP with just 2 H and 2 ER as it gave Lakeshore the chance to cultivate a big enough lead to bury Rockford.

“We’ve kinda had some blunders over (the past week), but the bullpen has been locked in,” Rogers said.

After securing an 11-5 win to tie Rockford 2-2 in this summer’s border battle, Cameron and the Chinooks begin their final week of the 2024 season in Green Bay Monday night.

“There’s a little bit of sadness, you hate to see all these guys go,” Rogers said of growing close with his team. “But I’m grateful for the opportunity as well.”

First pitch at Capital Credit Union Park is set for 6:35 p.m. (CST) before the Chinooks return home for their final two home games of the year Tuesday and Wednesday evening.

Article written by David Jacobs. Image by Connor Ziman.