Eli Benes

MEQUON, Wi.- Donning their Lake Michigan Shipwreckers’ jerseys for the first time in club history, the Chinooks opened their rebrand on a positive note. Defeating the Madison Mallards 4-1 on Friday, July 17, Lakeshore is now 20-3 at home.

Friday’s win signifies the Chinooks’ 11th straight win at Moonlight Graham Field, with their last loss at home coming on June 24 in a 14-3 loss to Fond du Lac. During their impressive win streak at home, the Chinooks are outscoring opponents 101-49.

Alongside averaging a significant nine runs per game during this stretch, the Chinooks’ pitching staff has excelled with a 3.65 ERA in 44.1 innings. Making his 13th appearance on the year, starting pitcher Christopher Romo helped lower the club’s ERA.

Allowing one unearned run to score, Romo allowed just two hits in what was his longest start of the year. Entering Friday with 16 walks in 16.1 innings, Romo pounded the zone, allowing one walk.

Romo attacked batters early in counts, throwing nine of his 19 first pitches for strikes while inducing four first-pitch outs. Romo said with him struggling with walks in recent outings, getting first pitch strikes was important.

“[It] kind of feels like you win. It makes your pitch count low and makes your defense make plays,” Romo said.

Watching film on the Mallards, Assistant Coach Brian Gregory said the team expected them to swing early in counts.

“Our guys were able to throw their off-speed pitches early in counts and make a lot of weak contact,” Gregory said. “It made our job pretty easy as far as the pitching side goes.”

Following Romo on the mound, Ryan Richter made his fifth appearance on the season. Holding Madison scoreless in a inning of work on July 1, Richter continued his success with with four dominant innings.

The biggest threat he faced came in the seventh inning when Madison doubled and singled to put runners on the corners.

Getting ahead 1-2 in the count to Lucas Schermer, Richter kept the ball on the ground and let his defense play behind him, as they turned a 6-3 double play to escape the inning with their 3-1 lead intact.

In the bottom of the seventh inning with one out, Aukai Kea collected his third RBI of the game thanks to a solo home run to left field. Kea opened the scoring in Friday’s contest with a two-out two RBI double in the first inning.

“I’d say [that’s] his best game of the [year]. He was calling a great game, offensively he was fantastic,” Assistant Coach Brian Gregory said.

With the win, the Chinooks are 5-2 against the Mallards this season and 4-0 at home.

3-2 in their last five games, the Chinooks open a two-game set against Wisconsin Rapids on Saturday, July 18 with first pitch at Moonlight Graham Field set for 5:05 pm CDT. The Chinooks are 3-1 against Wisconsin Rapids this season.