No Lead Safe in a Back and Forth Battle, as Bombers Beat Chinooks 8-7

The Lakeshore Chinooks and the Battle Creek Bombers second game of the three game series was an early battle with a score of 8-7 Bombers after 5 innings of play and that score would not change for the rest of the game. The Bombers relief pitching froze the Chinooks bats which led to the Bombers victory.

The Battle Creek Bombers started the scoring in the top of the 1^st inning. The Chinooks had two critical errors that played a big role along with a solid double by the Bombers that resulted in an early 1-0 lead.

The Chinooks bounced right back after a lead-off single by Chris Manning (Valparaiso), Brant Valach (Eastern Illinois) launched an RBI double to tie the ball game up 1-1. Ryan Krill (MSU) started right where he left off bringing home Valach on a flare single to left field giving the Chinooks a 2-1 lead after an exciting 1^st inning.

The Chinooks continued their scoring in the 2^nd inning as Cody Bobbit (Wichita State) found him-self on third base after a single, stolen base and a Bomber balk. After a Manning walk, Mason Snyder (Heartland CC) knocked in Bobbit on an RBI double down the left field line pushing the lead to 3-1.

The Bombers struck again in the top of the 3^rd inning on an RBI single to right field. They did not stop there as the Bombers sent a shot to the left-center gap bringing home yet another run to tie the game 3-3. The Chinooks saved a fourth run by getting the ball in and throwing the runner out at home for the final out.

Krill answered right back in the bottom of the 3^rd with a lead-off single. Jerrick Suiter (TCU) came up to the plate looking to make his mark, and sent a two-run home run off the scoreboard in left field to regain the lead. The Chinooks kept on pounding the ball as Bobbit knocked in Mikel Mucha (Wichita State) with an RBI single making the score 6-3 and ending the Bombers starting pitchers night. With a Manning walk, the Chinooks loaded the bases with one out looking to pour on the runs, but the Bombers got out of the jam on an inning ending double play.

 A walk and stolen base started off the top of the 4^th inning for the Bombers with a double bringing in yet another run, Fears of the Bombers sent a two run bomb over the wall tying the game up 6-6. The Bombers did not stop as they struck on another RBI double to shift the lead to Battle Creek, 7-6.

The runs did not stop, in the bottom of the 4^th inning Aaron Machbitz (South Dakota State) tied the game up at 7 with an RBI single knocking Krill in.

The Bombers wanted to keep the advantage as the capitalized once again in the top of the 5^th on an error pushing the lead to 8-7.

After the Chinooks were not able to reach base since the 4^th inning, Valach led the bottom of the 9^th inning with a single. Sawyer Polen (Kent State) replaced Valach on the base paths in every attempt to bring home the needed 8^th run. The Chinooks could not stir up another hit and fell to the Bombers 8-7.

The Chinooks (11-7) still tied for division lead with the La Crosse Loggers, finish up their three game series with the Bombers Sunday, June 16^th. In addition to celebrating Father’s Day, the first 1,000 fans that enter Kapco Park will receive an umbrella.