Mequon, WI – The Lakeshore Chinooks have had a great offensive run as of late. Entering Wednesday, the team scored 38 runs in its last three contests alone. It was also the first time in the team's four-year history that they plated ten or more runs in three straight games. The Chinooks took on the Green Bay Bullfrogs on Wednesday, but the hot offense cooled off as they fell by a score of 7-1.
Kevin Long (Lehigh) made his second start for the Chinooks, and he quickly found himself in trouble. He walked leadoff hitter Logan Taylor (Louisville), who stole second, advanced to third on a groundout and scored on a sacrifice fly hit by Danny Rosenbaum (Louisville). Long settled down to keep the Bullfrogs scoreless in the second, but he ran into more issues in the third.
Long let up four runs in the third in what would be his final inning of the game. The Bullfrogs only managed one run before there were two outs but scored three runs with two outs. Robb Paller (Columbia), Mikey Duarte (UC Irvine) and Matthew De La Rosa (Lenoir-Rhyne) all had RBIs in the inning.
The Chinooks got their first chance to score in the top of the third. Anthony Massicci (Canisius) begun the inning with a single, and David Edson (USC) followed him with a walk to put runners on first and second with no outs. However, the team could not take advantage of the situation and ultimately left the inning without scoring.
The Chinooks relieved Long with Zac Lowther (Xavier), who has yet to find a defined role after spending time in both the bullpen and rotation this season. He had a great outing, doing everything he could to keep his team in the game by firing 3.0 shutout innings. He allowed just one hit while walking no one and striking out three. Lowther has shown flashes of great ability but has been inconsistent so far, and the Chinooks will hope this can be the outing that gets him started on a hot streak.
The team scored their one and only run of the game in the top of the fifth but had a chance for even more. They loaded the bases with no outs when Edson singled, Andrew Shaps (Arizona State) singled and Greg Deichmann (Louisiana State) walked. Kyle Fiala (Notre Dame) brought home Edson when he grounded into a fielder's choice, but that was the only run the team could get after they threatened to do much more damage.
As a whole on the night, the Chinooks managed five hits and drew five walks. No player had a multi-hit night, but Edson and Deichmann both reached base three times thanks to a pair of walks each.
Shea Murray (Ohio State) was the final reliever that the Chinooks needed on the night. He threw a scoreless seventh inning but struggled a bit more in the eighth, ceding two runs. Murray fanned three in his two innings pitched but also walked five.
The Chinooks will return home to Kapco Park on Thursday. They will be taking on the Mankato MoonDogs in a two-game series for a rare matchup with a North Division opponent.
The Lakeshore Chinooks are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. Playing its 21st season of summer collegiate baseball, the Northwoods League draws significantly more fans, in a friendly ballpark experience, than any league of its kind. A valuable training ground for coaches, umpires, and front office staff, more than 120 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (DET) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (CWS), Jordan Zimmermann (WAS, Curtis Granderson (NYM), Lucas Duda (NYM) and Ben Zobrist (TB). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League portal. For more information visit www.lakeshorechinooks.com.
