Eli Benes

MEQUON, Wi.- Coming off being swept in a doubleheader versus the Green Bay Rockers on June 13, the Lakeshore Chinooks opened their four-game series versus the Wausau Woodchucks tonight at 5:05 pm CDT.

Wausau entered tonight’s contest 11-4, leading the Northwoods League in hits, OBP, runs and stolen bases. Despite being eighth in stolen bases, the Chinooks ran wild in the first inning by stealing three bags.

Leaving two runners on base in the inning, Wausau capitalized on a lead-off double from Caleb Danzeisen by scoring the first run of the game thanks to a Dawson Harman single.

Using their legs like they have so far this season, the Woodchucks pulled off a double steal to score their second run of the inning.

Down 2-0 early in the game, with runners on the corners in the bottom of the second inning, an infield error allowed the first Chinooks run to score. The Chinooks held constant pressure on the Woodchucks starting pitcher Huxley Holcombe in the first two innings, bringing up 11 Chinooks to the plate.

From innings 3-5, it was all Wausau as the Woodchucks scored five runs to extend their lead 7-1. Attempting to close the gap, Bryan Lorenz helped the Chinooks score their second run of the game off a RBI fielder’s choice in the bottom of the fourth inning.

Trailing the Woodchucks 7-2 through five innings, the Chinooks leadoff hitter reached base safely in three of the five innings. Not being able to do much with constant pressure on the basepaths, the Chinooks were able to put themselves in prime scoring position in the bottom of the sixth inning.

With the bases loaded, David Mysza in his Chinooks debut drew an RBI walk. Following Mysza in the order, David Hogg II came up big with an RBI single to left field scoring Cade Sears. In the next at-bat, Sandee scored the Chinooks third run of the inning, as his RBI fielders choice brought the score 7-5.

Needing clean innings from their bullpen, Mason Lizarraga pitched a scoreless seventh and eighth inning while facing the minimum. With four outs left to work with on offense for the Chinooks, Nolan Sandee’s hit by pitch brought up Nick Allred to the plate with two outs in the eighth.

Playing in just his third game of the season, Allred’s mindset was to keep his approach simple. And on a 2-1 count, he delivered a smooth swing, sending the pitch over the right field fence tying the game 7-7.

Despite trailing 7-2 at one point in the game, the Chinooks never wavered, scoring five unanswered runs.

“The guys are great,” Allred said. “[You] can never count us out.”

With a game full of rollercoasters, the ninth inning brought another turn. After Woodchuck Dylan LaPoint was hit by a pitch with one out, the Chinooks opted to keep Lizarrage in the game. Up 1-0 in the count, Danzeisen turned on a Lizzarrage’s pitch, sending it over the right field wall for a go-ahead two-run home run.

Despite the hard fought battle from the Chinooks, they were retired in order in the bottom half of the ninth inning. Albeit the 9-7 loss, the Chinooks’ 10 hits are the most in a game since May 29, when the club produced 13 hits in a 6-5 win over Fond du Lac.