Mequon, WI – The Lakeshore Chinooks were defeated by the La Crosse Loggers on Saturday, but they had a chance at redemption on Sunday. Taking on the Loggers in La Crosse, the Chinooks offense broke out en route to a come-from-behind 11-9 victory.
Ryan Dunne (John Logan College) got the start for the Chinooks but lasted just 2.0+ innings. Dunne gave up three runs in the first, one in the second and one in the third. He did not get an out in the third before departing in favor of Nick Brown (Missouri State) with two men on. Brown walked the first batter he saw to load the bases but retired the next three hitters to escape further damage and hold the score at 5-0.
The Chinooks had a big fourth inning to allow them to tie the game. Lucas Raley (Lake Erie College) began the frame with a bang, smacking a solo home run, his 11th of the year. The team then proceeded to load the bases with no outs after singles from Doug Kraeger (Richmond) and Mark Kolozsvary (Florida) and a walk drawn by Colby Fitch (Louisville). The first two runs then came around on a Greg Deichmann (Louisiana State) single, scoring Kraeger and Fitch. Kolozsvary and Deichmann became the fourth and fifth runs of the frame after coming home on a David Edson (USC) base knock.
The game was not tied for long, though, as the Loggers scored two off of Brown, both unearned, in the fourth to make it a 7-5 game. Brown gave up one more run in the fifth and was removed from the game with two outs in the inning to be replaced by Joe Stoll (Ohio State).
The Chinooks tied the game back up in the top of the sixth, however. Deichmann and Eric Fasnacht (Concordia- St. Paul) hit back-to-back singles to lead off the inning, and an Edson walk loaded the bases with no outs. Anthony Massicci (Canisius) did the big damage, smacking a double to drive home all three runners and bring the score to 8-8.
Once again, however, the lead was short-lived as La Crosse came back in the bottom of the sixth to score a run off of Stoll. That would be the only run that Stoll allowed, though, as he fired 3.1 innings while allowing four hits, no walks and striking out one.
Down 9-8 entering the top of the ninth, Lakeshore had one last chance to change the outcome of the game. It took just one pitch in the inning for things to be tied up, as Kraeger hit the first pitch of the inning over the fence to tie the game up at 9. The Chinooks did not stop there, though. Kolozsvary later doubled, and he came around to score the go-ahead run thanks to a Fasnacht single. After Fasnacht stole second base, he scored an insurance run on an Edson single to make it 11-9.
Manager Eddy Morgan brought on closer Andrew Shaps (Arizona State) for the ninth, and he did his job. Shaps worked around a hit to fire a scoreless inning and pick up his third save of the year.
The Chinooks will come home to Kapco Park on Monday as they battle the Eau Claire Express.
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.
