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\n\tRockford, IL—The Lakeshore Chinooks fell to the Rockford Rivets 9-5 on Sunday night, the loss dropped the Chinooks to 27-24 overall and 9-7 in the second half.\n<\/p>\n
\n\tRegarding the divisional race, the loss moved the Chinooks into 6th in the overall standings, one game behind the 28-23 Kingfish and 27-22 Rockford Rivets. They also moved into a tie for fourth place in the second half divisional race. Currently, they’re 2.5 games back of the 11-4 Wisconsin Rapids Rafters.\n<\/p>\n
\n\tRain defined Tonight's game. It rained during the bus ride, it rained during batting practice, and it rained heavily 20 minutes before the scheduled first pitch at 4:05. Thus, an almost two-hour rain delay ensued.\n<\/p>\n
\n\tWhen the action did get underway at 5:55, the field was still a bit muddy, but it was playable enough. However, the mud did affect multiple aspects of the game.\n<\/p>\n
\n\tIn the third, Drake Lubin tried to slide into first to avoid a pickoff throw, but his stuck handed landed about a foot short of the base. Then, in the fifth, an easy grounder got the best of Matthew Mika at second base.\n<\/p>\n
\n\tI’ve watched a lot of Mika this year, and something like that never happens.\n<\/p>\n
\n\tBut, the Rivets have three postponed games remaining on their schedule so that they couldn't afford further suspension or postponement.\n<\/p>\n
\n\tHere’s how the game went down.\n<\/p>\n
\n\tChinook starter Cyrillo Watson struggled from the word go. In the top of the first, three straight singles by Hunter Feduccia (who leads the Northwoods League with a .394 batting average), Zach Watson, and Brian Klien, loaded the bases.\n<\/p>\n
\n\tAfter striking out Neal Tyrell swinging, it looked like Watson would get out of it, but a bases-loaded walk to Patrick Loeffler and a bases-emptying grand slam by Zach Rheams made it 5-0 Rockford after the first inning.\n<\/p>\n
\n\tIn his first start since July 8th, Watson exited after allowing 5 runs, 4 hits, and 7 walks in 3.2 innings.\n<\/p>\n
\n\tLakeshore got on the board in the third inning. Joe Duncan singled to lead things off and was driven home by a Rylan Thomas moon shot double off the right field wall. Then, Thomas came around to score when Tim DalPorto knocked a mud-aided RBI single.\n<\/p>\n
\n\tIn the sixth, Rockford opened up their lead. Bren Spillane led things off with a single, the first Rockford single in 19 straight batters and scored on a Zach Watson double. A sac fly by Tyrell and a Loeffler single added two more. After 6, it was 8-2 Rivets.\n<\/p>\n
\n\tA quick note about Rockford going hitless for 19 straight. Aside from the rain, tonight’s game was defined by walks. In total, the Chinook pitching staff handed out 13 walks. Chinook batters drew 0 walks.\n<\/p>\n
\n\tIn the top of the 7th, two Chinook Cowboys flexed their muscles. Connor Kimple and Daniel DeSimone both went deep to cut the Rivet lead down to 8-5.\n<\/p>\n
\n\tThose runs were too little, too late. An insurance run for the Rivets in the 8th put the game out of reach.\n<\/p>\n