Chucks Unable to Overcome Chinooks at the Plate
WAUSAU, WI – On a Friday night with postgame fireworks at Athletic Park, fans were treated to plenty of offensive fireworks between the Wisconsin Woodchucks and Lakeshore Chinooks.
Unfortunately for the Chucks, they found themselves on the short end of the high-scoring bout, being unable to dig out of an early hole and falling 15-7.
For the second night in a row, the Woodchucks took a first inning lead after Lakeshore struck in the top of the first. Stephen Reid’s routine two-out fly ball fell in left field, scoring Kevin Kilpatrick. Reid then scored to make it 2-1 off the bat off Ben McCabe’s double to the right field fence.
The Woodchucks are now 30-20 overall and 9-6 in the second half of the Northwoods League season. A four-game winning streak ended in the Wisconsin loss.
The Chinooks’ second-inning, six-run crooked number saw them retake a lead that quickly ballooned to five runs.
The Chucks gave themselves life in the fourth, cutting the deficit to 7-5 after a Gino Groover two-run double and a Kilpatrick sacrifice fly.
But a solo home run and a grand slam for Lakeshore in the fifth quickly allowed them to stretch the margin to 12-5. They added another in the sixth off a fielder’s choice before the Woodchucks scored off RBIs from Reid and McCabe.
Another solo home run came off a Lakeshore bat in the ninth before they added an additional run off a wild pitch.
Starting pitcher Dante Chirico picked up the loss for Wisconsin in two innings pitched.
Two Woodchucks Return
Two Woodchucks returned to the roster after being resigned by the club. Clayton Mehlbauer was in the lineup at shortstop for the first time since June 15 at Lakeshore. He was joined in the middle infield by second baseman Noah Fitzgerald, playing for the first time since June 22.
Top Performers
Groover was 1-2 with a double, two walks and two RBI.
Reid went 2-5 with a run and two RBI.
McCabe was 2-4 with two RBI, a walk and double.
Mehlbauer went 2-4 with a walk and a run.
Cade Denton and Shane Telfer each threw an inning; neither allowed an earned run.
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Author: David Keech
David Keech is a retired teacher and works as a sportswriter, sports official and as an educational consultant. He has reported on amateur sports since 2011, known as 'KeechDaVoice.' David can be reached at [email protected]
