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Northwoods Lakeshore Chinooks

Chinooks Swept By Kingfish In Home-And-Away Doubleheader

June 30, 2015 - Northwoods League (Northwoods)
Lakeshore Chinooks News Release


Game One: Kenosha Kingfish 6, Lakeshore Chinooks 1

With Tuesday the last day of the first half in the Northwoods League, it was the final day that teams could battle for the first of two chances to get into the playoffs. The Lakeshore Chinooks entered with an outside chance of finding their way on top of the Northwoods League South Division (only the division winner makes the playoffs). The team took on the first place Kenosha Kingfish at home in the first game of a home-and-away doubleheader on the day, but they fell out of the race with a 6-1 loss.

Gavin Downs (Purdue) was the starter for the Chinooks, and while he was not quite at his best early on, he did do enough to keep his team in the game. Downs let up the first run of the game in top of the first, when Bobby Sheppard (Buffalo), who reached on a fielder's choice, scored on a Jeremy Vazquez (Florida) ground out. Back out in the second, he let up another run, this time on a Jason Scholl (Eastern Illinois) solo home run. The third inning went in similar fashion, as the Kingfish scored one more run thanks to a Zach Ratcliff (Ohio State) RBI single.

Downs settled down after the third inning, however, holding Kenosha scoreless for the next three innings. He would end up firing 6.0 innings, giving up three runs on nine hits and three walks. Even though he might not have had his best stuff early, Downs did a great job of staying focused and delivered a solid outing.

The Chinooks first threatened to score in the bottom of the fifth. Doug Kraeger (Richmond) and David Edson (USC) smacked back-to-back base hits to put runners on first and second with no outs. Greg Deichmann (LSU) reached on a fielder's choice and stole second, putting guys on second and third with one out. However, a baserunning mistake by Deichmann on a groundout from Anthony Massicci (Canisius) cost the team a run and ended the inning.

The Chinooks did come back in the bottom of the sixth, however, to plate their first run of the game and close the deficit to two runs. Jake Romano (Miami-Ohio) led off the inning with a single and advanced to second on a Kyle Fiala (Notre Dame) grounded out. Romano then scored when Lucas Raley (Lake Erie College) brought him in with a single.

Another chance came in the bottom of the seventh, but the Chinooks did not capitalize. They loaded the bases with one out after Krager walked, Edson reached on an error and Massicci was hit by a pitch. The team could not take advantage, though, and left the inning without scoring.

Zac Lowther (Xavier) was brought on in relief of Downs in the seventh. He was the only reliever that the Chinooks would need as he threw three innings, giving up three runs, all of which came in the top of the ninth.

Ultimately, the Chinooks could not mount a rally and the score finished at 6-1. These two teams will square off again for another contest on Tuesday as both clubs will take the hour and a half bus ride down to Kenosha for a 7:05 p.m. game. After that, the Chinooks return home on Wednesday to open up the second half with the first contest of a two-game series against the Wisconsin Woodchucks.

Game Two: Kenosha Kingfish 2, Lakeshore Chinooks 1

Mequon, WI - After falling to the Kenosha Kingfish at home earlier in the day, the Lakeshore Chinooks traveled to Kenosha to take on the Kingfish in a night game. In the final day of play in the Northwoods League first half, the Chinooks were officially eliminated from contention as they fell to Kenosha in game in both games, losing the second by a score of 2-1.

Sterling Koerner (Florida Gulf Coast) took the ball for the Chinooks, and he delivered a good start. He retired the first eight batters that he faced, but he ran into trouble with two outs in the third. Three back-to-back singles from Brody Westmoreland (San Diego State), Zach Weigel (Seton Hall) and Nick Sergakis (Ohio State) gave the Kingfish two runs of the inning, though Koerner did strand Sergakis on second.

Koerner gave up nothing after that, holding the Kingfish scoreless for the next four innings. He threw a total of seven frames, allowing two runs on five hits and one walk. He gave the Chinooks all they could have asked for as they looked to spoil the Kingfish' hope as they were fighting to stay in command of first place in the division.

After baserunning mistakes hurt the Chinooks in the first game, another one cost them an opportunity in the third. Jack Benninghoff (Arkansas) singled to lead off the inning, but he was caught stealing with Drake Parker (Vanderbilt) at the plate. Parker wound up walking, so instead of first and second with one out, the Chinooks had only a man first with two outs. They ultimately did not score in the inning.

The Chinooks did manage to close the gap to one in the six, scoring one run. Parker walked with one out, later advancing to second on an Anthony Massicci (Canisius) ground out. On a Zarley Zalewski (Kent State) double, Parker came around to score. Zalewski was stranded on second, however.

Ultimately, the Chinooks could never score another run, though. They did have a chance in the seventh as Lucas Raley (Lake Erie College) walked and later advanced to third on a Benninghoff single, but both were eventually stranded.

Hunter Devall (Louisiana State) was the only reliever the Chinooks would need. He fired a perfect eighth inning while striking out two.

The Chinooks will return to home at Kapco Park on Wednesday as they start the second half with a two-game series against the Wisconsin Woodchucks.



Northwoods League Stories from June 30, 2015


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