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\n\tMequon, WI- The Lakeshore Chinooks (15-15) defeated the Kalamazoo Growlers, 5-3, in the first of two games at home against the Growlers.\n<\/p>\n
\n\tNeither team had success at the plate early in the game, as the Chinooks were the first team to break the scoreless tie in the bottom of the 3rd<\/sup> inning. Connor Kimple (Oklahoma State) led off the inning with a single rocketed to left-center, and Matthew Mika (Central Florida) followed with a walk.\n<\/p>\n \n\tRylan Thomas then doubled to deep right-center, plating Kimple and Mika, giving the Chinooks the 2-0 lead. Later in the inning, Daniel DeSimone (Oklahoma State) blooped a ball to shallow left field, but was placed in between three Growlers, and none of them seemed to want to make the catch. As a result, Thomas was able to make it all the way home, pushing the Lakeshore lead to 3.\n<\/p>\n \n\tKalamazoo was able to get on the board in the top half of the 4th<\/sup>, starting with a play similar to the one in the bottom of the 3rd<\/sup>. Mitch Bigras led off the inning with a ball blooped to shallow left field, but neither Matt Burch (Arkansas) nor TJ Raguse (Baylor) called each other off, and Bigras was able to cruise into 2nd<\/sup> with a double. After Bigras was able to advance to 3rd<\/sup>, Matt Koehler grounded out, which plated Bigras and cut the Chinooks’ lead to 2.\n<\/p>\n \n\tIn the bottom of the 5th<\/sup> inning, Nick Gatewood (Georgia State) helped extend the Chinooks’ lead, as he singled up the middle to bring home Joe Duncan (Eastern Illinois) from 3rd<\/sup> after Duncan singled earlier in the inning. The RBI single gave Lakeshore a 4-1 advantage.\n<\/p>\n \n\tThe bottom of the 6th<\/sup> featured Matt Burch reaching base for the second time via an error by Growlers’ shortstop, Michael Diffley, and wound up at 2nd<\/sup> base after a poor throw to 1st<\/sup>. Connor Kimple later singled home Burch, giving Lakeshore a 5-1 lead.\n<\/p>\n \n\tMichael Diffley led off the top of the 7th<\/sup> with a walk, and ended up jogging home on a 2-run homer coming off the bat of Charlie Carpenter. The 2-run shot was Carpenter’s first home run of the summer, and cut the Chinooks’ lead to just 2.\n<\/p>\n \n\tJoe Heineman (Baylor) was impressive in his 2 innings of relief, allowing just one hit and no runs, walking one and striking out four. Heineman picked up the 2-inning save, securing the Chinooks’ 5-3 victory.\n<\/p>\n \n\tChinooks’ starter, Sam Lund (Madison College), making his final start of the summer for the Chinooks, stymied the Growlers over 6 dominant innings. Lund allowed just one run on five hits, walking one and striking out four.\n<\/p>\n \n\t“I felt good, my pitches were working for the most part, I was hitting my spots,” said Lund. “When I got guys on base, I was working the 2-seam, getting ground balls, and the defense was making some good plays for me out there.”\n<\/p>\n \n\tWhen asked about his experience with the Chinooks, Lund said, “it was nice. The people here are nice, the field is nice, and it was good for me to see some good competition.”\n<\/p>\n \n\tThe Lakeshore Chinooks (15-15) stay in Mequon for another game against the Growlers Friday night, as the Chinooks look to complete the 2-game sweep of Kalamazoo.\n<\/p>\n