In the final game of this five-game road trip, the Lakeshore Chinooks (13-18) hit six home runs in a dominating 20-4 win over the Green Bay Rockers (18-15) in a Great lakes West divisional matchup on Friday night at Capital Credit Union Park.
Green Bay got the scoring started in this one in the bottom of the third. Kendall Ewell drove a two-out home run to deep center field to put the Rockers on the board first, 1-0.
However, the Chinooks would respond right away in their next at-bat. Joey Spence and Josh Overbeek reached base on a single and a walk to put two runners on. With two-outs, Adam Cootway delivered a timely three-run home run to give the Chinooks their first lead of the night at 3-1, Cootway’s first of the season.
In the top of the sixth inning, the Chinooks would strike again courtesy of the long ball. Josh Overbeek crushed a two-run home run off the scoreboard in right to stretch the lead to 5-1, his first of the season. Then, Cody Kelly followed Overbeek with a home run of his own to go back-to-back and extend the Chinooks lead to 6-1, Kelly’s third of the season. That would not be it for Lakeshore as they were far from done in this one. A bases loaded walk and a Joey Spence grand slam opened the game up at 11-1 in favor of the Chinooks, completing an eight-run inning.
The Rockers responded quickly in the bottom of the sixth. A home run from Carlos Hernandez and an RBI single from Mateo Matthews cut the Lakeshore lead to 11-3.
Hunter Grimes tacked on another run for the Chinooks in the top of the seventh on a sac fly, scoring Gabe Roessler and the Chinook lead was now at 12-3.
Lakeshore matched their eight-run sixth with another one in the eighth and the rout was on. Following back-to-back walks to begin the eighth, Cody Kelly continued his hot bat with a two-RBI double down the right field line to bring the Chinook lead back to ten at 14-4. Cootway then proceeded to hit a two-run home run, his second of the game.
After loading the bases, Joey Spence put the exclamation mark on this game with his second grand slam of the night and extending the lead to 20-4, helping lead the Chinooks to their 13th win of the season.
The Chinooks outhit the Rockers 13-9 and five players recorded multiple hits in this game. Joey Spence and Adam Cootway led the way with two home runs each, and a combined thirteen runs batted in as well.
Lakeshore starter Blake Kunz (W, 2-1) got the win for the Chinooks and really kept the Green Bay hitters off balance most of the night. Kunz pitched five innings, giving up four hits and one earned run while also striking out eight batters.
The Lakeshore Chinooks will return home to go for the sweep of the Rockers tomorrow night. First pitch from Moonlight Graham Field is set for 6:35 p.m. CST.
