Mequon, WI \u2014 Down to their final three outs, the Lakeshore Chinooks desperately needed a spark Sunday afternoon.<\/p>\n
After a leadoff double by left fielder Jacob Kowes, Kowes injured himself rounding first base and had to limp into second. Center fielder Brody Rasmussen stepped up to the plate with a chance to deliver the Chinooks’ first win.<\/p>\n
In a season where so much had gone wrong for Lakeshore, Rasmussen blasted a walk-off two-run homer into the left field patio to win the game 8-7 against the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe just hung a slider, and I lost it,\u201d Rasmussen said.<\/p>\n
Rasmussen\u2019s walk-off was one of the center fielder\u2019s four total hits and three RBI. The Chinooks, as a whole, tallied a season-high 13 hits in a game that meant so much more than just a singular victory.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not good for me. It’s good for them, and it’s good for the other boys to see,\u201d Chinook manager Mikel Moreno said on the team’s first win, coming in prolific walk-off fashion.<\/p>\n
However, for Moreno, Sunday\u2019s victory wasn\u2019t perfect, partially due to the six errors the Chinooks\u2019 defense committed, with many more plays that could have been errors occurring.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you see that defense? How atrocious that was,\u201d Moreno said. \u201cWe need to be able to catch fly balls and make plays.\u201d<\/p>\n
A turning point in Sunday\u2019s game came from an error when third baseman Esteban Garcia dropped a fly ball in foul territory, which eventually led to three Rapids Rafter runs in a four-run eighth inning.<\/p>\n
E. Garcia had a rough Chinooks\u2019 debut, committing three errors in big situations. However, the team rallied around him.<\/p>\n
\u201cI cannot believe we won because we had eight errors,\u201d Moreno said, referring to other plays that could have been scored errors.<\/p>\n
A play, such as a dropped pop-up by first baseman Nate Gray or a David Hogg throw to first that Gray could not handle.<\/p>\n
Moreno said despite the defense \u201cgiving away the game,\u201d the offense came through in the clutch.<\/p>\n
It wasn\u2019t just Rasmussen who had the clutch gene Sunday. Another instance of clutch hitting came while trailing 3-2 entering the sixth inning; right fielder Owen Desazo drilled a go-ahead three-run homer over the left field patio. That home run marked the first time the Chinooks had a lead since May 27 in Battle Creek.<\/p>\n
On the pitching side, left-handed reliever Aaron Robinson pitched four clutch shutout innings, allowing just two hits and punching out four Rapid Rafters.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe saved us huge,\u201d Moreno said. \u201cHe came in and gave us quality innings.\u201d<\/p>\n
Robinson entered Sunday\u2019s game in the fourth inning, replacing right-hander Koehn Thomas, who started for the Chinooks.<\/p>\n
Thomas struggled with his command early, walking four, but battled through three innings, allowing a single earned run.<\/p>\n
Moreno said the effort by Thomas put the Chinooks on a winning path.<\/p>\n
Another player who paved the path to victory was shortstop David Hogg.<\/p>\n
The Louisiana State freshman arrived in Mequon today and made an immediate impact.<\/p>\n
Hogg played immaculate defense at a premium position and went 1-4 with a walk and a stolen base. The shortstop consistently showcased his athletic ability, hitting and fielding the baseball as a top-tier prospect should.<\/p>\n
Lakeshore begins its four-game home stand with a victory and returns to action Monday at 6:35 p.m. once again vs. the Rapid Rafters.<\/p>\n
Written by Wyatt Baumeyer<\/p>\n
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