Mequon, WI – The Lakeshore Chinooks have had a tough road trip, playing six games in four days from Friday the third through Monday the sixth. It did not get any easier on Tuesday, as the team traveled to Kenosha to take on the Northwoods League South Division first half champion Kingfish. The game did not go well for the Chinooks as they fell 16-0. 

The Chinooks sent Brian Keller (UW-Milwaukee) to the mound for the start. He got off to a tough start, giving up a run in the top of the first when he ceded an RBI single to Alex Dunlap (Stanford). Keller held the Kingfish scoreless in the second but ran into more trouble in the third, loading the bases with one out. He allowed a run on a sac fly to Dunlap, but he did limit the damage in the inning by making that the only run he gave up in the frame. 

The Chinooks first threatened in the top of the first inning. Doug Kraeger (Richmond) led off with a single, and a Colby Fitch (Louisville) walk put two on with no outs. The club loaded the bases with two outs after another walk, this one drawn by Christian Hicks (Florida), but ultimately they could not bring any of the runners home. 

Keller threw a shutout fourth inning but gave up two more runs in the fifth. He walked the first batter of the frame, Alex Borglin (Central Michigan), who proceeded to steal second and advance to third on an Eric Filia (UCLA) infield single. Borglin then scored when Dunlap hit another sac fly for his third RBI of the game. Filia later was plated on a Zach Ratcliff (Ohio State) single. 

Another opportunity came for the Chinooks in the top of the sixth. The team loaded the bases with two outs after back-to-back singles from Greg Deichmann (Louisiana State) and Hicks and a walk drawn by Drake Parker (Vanderbilt) to chase Kingfish starter Rico Garcia (Hawaii Pacific) from the game. However, reliever Brett Shimanovsky (St. Louis) struck out Anthony Massicci (Canisius) to end the threat. 

Keller came back out in the bottom of the sixth but was chased from the game before he could get out of the inning. He let up two runs without getting an out before departing in favor of Rustin Sveum (Dixie State) with runners on first and second. Sveum allowed both inherited runners to score, giving Keller eight runs charged, and also allowed a run of his own. When the dust settled and the inning was over, the Chinooks trailed 9-0. 

Sveum stayed on for the seventh but his struggles continued. He allowed a run to score before loading the bases with no outs. Jeremy Vazquez (Florida) then did the big damage, hitting a grand slam to make it a 15-0 ballgame. He never could get an out in the inning, getting replaced by Parker Sanburn (Arkansas) with one on and no outs. Sanburn allowed the inherited runner to score but nothing of his own.

Sanburn finished the game for his team, throwing a scoreless eighth inning. Despite nine hits, the Chinooks were shut out and the game ended with a score of 16-0. 

These two teams will square off again on Wednesday in a home-and-away doubleheader. First, the teams will playin Kenosha at 12:05 and then they will travel to Mequon for a 6:35 game.

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 (WSH) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (CWS), Jordan Zimmermann (WSH), Curtis Granderson (NYM), Lucas Duda (NYM) and Ben Zobrist (OAK).  All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League portal. For more information visit www.lakeshorechinooks.com.