Lakeshore Chinooks end season on three-game winning streak

Lakeshore Chinook Jim Jarecki was determined to shut it down late.

Green Bay loaded the bases and scored on an RBI sacrifice fly in the ninth inning, but the Wisconsin-Whitewater graduate held off the Booyah for long enough on Saturday at Kapco Park in Mequon.

With the tying run at third base, Jarecki retired Green Bay third baseman Brett Blair on a groundout to third, garnering his second straight save while pushing the Chinooks to a third straight victory, 2-1, in their final game of the season.

“I just thanked them for their time and their efforts,” Chinooks field manager Travis Akre said. “This is a long season and when you bounce off of your previous season, your spring (collegiate season), and you come in here, my biggest thing is I want to make sure these guys are learning baseball but (also) life lessons. How much of this schedule and this hard work (matters), and really prepares them for the real world.”  

The Chinooks (15-21) relied on four relievers to hold Green Bay (12-25) scoreless on six hits prior to Jarecki’s entry in the final frame. Luis Canez earned his first start and  was lifted before the fourth with four strikeouts.

Arthur Liebau retired six of seven hitters. Cade Berendt then sat down five of six hitters, striking out three.  

“We just wanted to empty the kitchen sink tonight,” Akre said. “We wanted to give all these guys a chance to get a little work and just try to build a team effort tonight and get a win. And we did. It was special. Tonight was a fun group effort and I’m just proud of those guys for playing hard for nine innings.”  

Reaching base for the first time in the fourth, shortstop Mack Timbrook relied on catcher Josh Glenn’s double to shallow right field to get to third base. Riley Swenson grounded out to first base, scoring Timbrook for a 2-0 lead.

Still trailing, 2-0, in the seventh, right fielder Marcus Hornacek walked. Shortstop Spencer Weston singled to right field, moving Hornacek to second.  

Reliever Jake Orthober struck out Blair, but Booyah catcher Jakob Runnels reached second base due to left fielder Nathan Aide’s fielding error. Orthober eliminated the scoring threat on his own upon first baseman Alec Danen’s lineout to the Cedarburg native.  

Glenn, who had already filled all other eight spots in Lakeshore’s defensive alignment, filled for Orthober and retired left fielder Johnny Hipsman — Green Bay’s second-leading hitter — on a groundout.  

Green Bay’s final reliever Jeff Thielke retired Lakeshore’s last three batters on a pair of strikeouts and a fly out, redeeming himself after taking a loss versus the Rafters three days earlier.  

Although the Chinooks had only relied on seven hits in back-to-back wins, their chemistry played a critical role in their longest win streak in August. Lakeshore had also not defeated Green Bay at Kapco Park since July 2, a 13-3 result that marked its highest scoring output against the Booyah all season.  

“Baseball’s such a beautiful thing, it doesn’t matter if you show up and you’ve been here for a day or a week, these guys leave instantly as buddies and lifelong friends,” Akre said. “Summer ball’s just so unique in that aspect.”