Eli Benes

MADISON, Wi.- Taking the regular season series 7-5, the Lakeshore Chinooks traveled to Madison on Sunday, August 9 to face the Mallards to open their three-game divisional playoff series. In their 12 contests head-to-head, the Chinooks outscored the Mallards 71-60.

Playing in their first playoff game since 2017 on Sunday, the Chinooks offense struggled against Madison’s stellar pitching staff, scoring two runs on three hits in a 9-2 loss.

Playing in a playoff atmosphere in the highest attended stadium in the Northwoods League this season, Field Manager Brian Gregory said that the club tried to create the environment of a regular season game Sunday while playing their brand of baseball.

“Maybe some guys let the moment get too big [but] I think getting this first playoff game under [our] belt will hopefully get some of these butterflies out,” Gregory said.

Before the game got out of hand in the middle of the contest, Chinooks’ starting pitcher Dylan Weekly started his performance on a high note. Facing one batter over the minimum through two scoreless innings, Weekly touched 94 MPH on his fastball while inducing 8 whiffs.

Trouble began in the third inning for Weekly, as he allowed runners to reach second and third base with zero outs recorded. After getting Ashton Quiller to fly out to shallow center field, the Mallards struck first on a wild pitch from Weekly.

Getting Preston Yaucher to groundout later in the at bat, Weekly faced Aidan Arnett with two outs. On a 1-0 count, Arnett extended Madison’s lead to two on a RBI single. Needing just one more out to hold the Mallards to two runs in the inning, Jack Bello kept the scoring going with a RBI single.

During the third inning, Weekly dealt with a blister on his foot. In a 2-2 count to Davis Hamilton, Gregory came out on the mound to talk with Weekly after noticing him limping. Telling Gregory he wanted to finish the at bat, Weekly exited the game after allowing a hard-hit RBI double to right field.

“It’s just bad luck,” Gregory said. “Blisters happen very seldomly, but it got him today.”

With Weekly out of the game, Christian McGrath was the first call out of the bullpen for the Chinooks. Walking the first batter he faced in Marcelino Alonso, McGrath eventually got out of the inning by getting Nate Novinska to lineout to shortstop.

With the Chinooks retired in order for the third inning in a row in the fourth, Madison extended their lead to nine with a one-run fourth inning and four-run fifth inning. Madison did a good job attacking McGrath early in counts, recording just five two-strike counts.

Trailing big after five complete innings, the only scoring the rest of the game for the Chinooks came in the seventh inning with a RBI double down the third base line from Aukai Kea highlighting a two-run inning.

Rounding out the game on a positive note, reliever Drew Gernert held the Mallards scoreless to end the game, finishing his day with 3.1 scoreless innings of work.

Falling 0-1 in the best of three series, the Chinooks Monday, August 10 will play game two at Moonlight Graham Field in Mequon, Wi. with first pitch at 6:35 pm CDT. At home this season, the Chinooks are 5-1 against Madison and 29-7 overall.

“We play really well at home. We see the ball well and pitch well so if all those things go on line I’m not to worried about this group,” Gregory said.