Mequon, Wis. \u2013 The Lakeshore Chinooks climbed out of an early four-run hole, briefly keeping their hopes of a three-game win streak alive.<\/p>\n
But despite pushing across four combined runs in the fourth and fifth innings, the Chinooks were unable to convert another comeback into a third straight victory.<\/p>\n
Committing seven errors and allowing 14 total walks, Lakeshore\u2019s middle-inning rally was not enough to prevent the winning run from scoring on a bases-loaded walk, falling to the Dock Spiders, 10-6, at Kapco Park on Sunday.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe just struggled on the mound, that\u2019s very apparent,\u201d Chinooks field manager Travis Akre said. \u201cI think we [allowed] 15 walks and that\u2019s just a recipe for disaster. You\u2019re never going to win ball games with that, and that was the difference today. I mean, you look at the scoreboard and we out-hit them significantly, and came out with an L.\u201d<\/p>\n
Following an empty first three frames, the Chinooks (8-11) counted on center fielder Nathan Aide to ignite a spark.<\/p>\n
Registering Lakeshore\u2019s second hit of the evening, Aide belted a one-out RBI single down the right field line and advanced to third on a fielding error \u2014 Fond du Lac\u2019s only error committed. Aide was brought home on a fielder\u2019s choice for Lakeshore\u2019s first run.<\/p>\n
Leading off the fifth with a solo home run to right field, shortstop Orlando Salinas collected his first of the season, cutting the deficit in half, 4-2. Left fielder Ethan Vecrumba placed two runners in scoring position with a double to right field and third baseman Sam Beers capped off the scoring action with a one-run single.<\/p>\n
\u201cThose guys have provided a little bit of a spark for us,\u201d Akre said. \u201cIt\u2019s been a different guy every night, and we\u2019ve swung the bats pretty well in the last four games coming back from the All-Star break. But you know, the unfortunate part is we\u2019re 2-2 after those and should be 3-1 or 4-0 and we\u2019re not, so it\u2019s just been the tail of the season. We haven\u2019t been getting beat, we\u2019ve just been beating ourselves.\u201d<\/p>\n
Batting cleanup in a 3-for-4 home debut, Beers guided the Chinooks in their rally. The Dock Spiders (11-6), meanwhile, relied on only two hits to post six unanswered runs in the late innings, instead capitalizing on Lakeshore\u2019s defensive mistakes.<\/p>\n
Though reliever Mitch Mueller eliminated a bases-loaded scoring threat in the sixth, Fond du Lac blew the contest open in the seventh, taking advantage of three errors and a one-out single for an 8-4 advantage. Dock Spiders third baseman Connor Manthey was hit by a pitch in the eighth and then scored in front of right fielder Ryan Lasko on second baseman Colton Bauer\u2019s fielding error.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe got out of a couple [jams], just not enough,\u201d Akre said. \u201cHe was pretty crisp for the first five or six hitters and then after that ran into a buzz saw, couldn\u2019t command the zone anymore and it had just led to another long inning.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fond du Lac\u2019s late-inning surge wasn\u2019t the first deficit Lakeshore faced, nonetheless.<\/p>\n
Allowing back-to-back walks to start the contest, Chinooks right-handed starter Ryan Jungbauer saw the game\u2019s first two runners plated on a stolen base and a sacrifice fly. The Northwestern Ohio product walked five of the first six batters and exited after the conclusion of the opening inning due to experienced discomfort in his throwing arm.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ll just wait and see you know, it\u2019s something in the forearm and elbow area,\u201d Akre said. \u201cWe\u2019ll just have to evaluate him tomorrow and see what the prognosis is.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lifting Jungbauer, right-hander Miles Halligan tossed the next three innings and kept the Dock Spiders to one run while striking out a team-most four batters. Jason DeCicco of Eastern Illinois and Arthur Liebau worked to finish the final 2 2\/3 innings, while Lakeshore had an ounce of momentum left in its lineup.<\/p>\n
With one out in bottom of the ninth, third baseman Sam Beers added to a 2-for-3 performance, drilling a solo home run to left field for his first of 2021 and Lakeshore\u2019s 40th<\/sup>. The Chinooks trailed, 10-5, but right fielder Connor Kimple hit a one-out single to left field and designated hitter Jackson Gray reduced the deficit back to four runs, scoring on a wild pitch.<\/p>\n Mueller was tacked with the loss, moving to 3-2, and Dock Spiders starter Porter Hardcastle secured his second win to remain undefeated.<\/p>\n Up next, the Chinooks once again host the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters for a two-game series beginning on Monday. First pitch is set for 6:35 p.m.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Mequon, Wis. \u2013 The Lakeshore Chinooks climbed out of an early four-run hole, briefly keeping their hopes of a three-game […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":11740,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11739","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-team-news"],"yoast_head":"\n