Rafters rally not enough to down Chinooks
For the Rapids City Times
WISCONSIN RAPIDS – The Wisconsin Rapids Rafters (11-9) could not overcome a nine-run deficit as errors came back to bite the cranberry and gold. The Rafters showed fight with a four-run ninth inning against the Lakeshore Chinooks (9-12). It was not enough as Lakeshore won the first meeting of 2018 by a final of 9-4.
The Chinooks scored nine times on twelves hits and seven Rafters errors. The Chinooks did their damage in bunches scoring twice in the first, third, fourth, and sixth innings. Dallas Beaver scored the lone run in the seventh with a solo home run to right field.
The cranberry and gold fought till the end. After Alex Stevenson of the Chinooks walked the bases loaded, Ethan Stringer (Louisville) hit a bases-clearing, three-run double. Jake Dunham (Northern Illinois) then followed with an RBI single. The Chinooks forced a game-ending groundout to hold onto a lead and their ninth win.
Kevin Tibor (2-2, 1.33 ERA) earned the win with seven scoreless innings and four strikeouts. Brecken Lewis (1-1, 3.44) was given the loss allowing six runs, three of them earned, on seven hits. He struck out two.