Tuesday, September 17, 2024
By Murray Gleffe
Correspondent
GREEN BAY-The Green Bay Bullfrogs defeated the Lakeshore Chinooks by a final of 17-6 behind 12 runs in the sixth at Joannes Stadium (July 15).
The Bullfrogs pounded out 16 hits. Matthew Acosta had four on six at bats, and Eddy Gonzales added three.
Acosta also produced four RBI’s
Hugh Chapman was the winning pitcher for Green Bay going six innings. He gave up eight hits and five runs.
Kevin Tibor was the losing pitcher for the Chinooks lasting five innings.
Lakeshore struck first in the top of the second after Griffin Dey sent a shot to left field. The ensuing double brought home Jim Govern who had a lead-off walk to open the inning.
Undeterred, the Bullfrogs answered back in the bottom of the third.
E.Gonzalez opened with a single and then got into scoring position after a successful steal.
Brian Davis then walked.
After two consecutive pop outs, and runners at second and third, Alejandro Gonzales walked and suddenly the bases were loaded for the ‘frogs’.
The Chinooks looked like they would go right into the top of the fourth with a one run lead, after Green Bay’s Preston Pavlica popped up a ball right outside the pitcher’s mound.
At the last second, the catcher and first basemen couldn’t make up their minds who would make the catch, and the ball hit the infield dirt.
By the time the play had unfolded, Gonzales and Davis had rounded the bases and had crossed home plate.
The Bullfrogs took that 2-1 lead all the way to the fifth inning.
The Chinooks evened the game at two apiece after Drake Lubin scored from third on a sacrifice fly with two outs.
Green Bay then took their bats to a whole new level in the bottom half inning and moving forward.
After Esteban Cardoza-Oquendo opened with a walk, Acosta took a fast ball by Tibor and went yard!
He sent the ball 370 feet over the right field wall in his two-run shot.
It put the Bullfrogs back out in front by a score of 4-2.
“I thought Acosta’s homer was huge,” said Kirk Shrider, Bullfrogs Head Coach. “It gave us some momentum in a very tight game.”
The lead would again change hands in the top of the sixth in this back and forth affair.
Lakeshore led off with three straight singles against Chapman.
The latter scored Jim Govern to cut the margin to one run.
Connor Christman advanced the two base runners by hitting a sacrifice bunt.
After Lubin walked, the Chinooks Jack Dunn took a low breaking ball and connected on a single to left field to score two and give them a 5-4 lead heading into the bottom of the sixth.
“We left Chapman in there for six innings because we felt he had a good pitch count,” said Shrider. “Prior to his last inning he pitched, he had given up only two runs and was looking good.”
For all intent purposes, it looked like the game would come right down to the wire.
That all changed after the Bullfrogs sat in the batter’s box and connected on shot-after-shot-after shot.
Luke Robinson and Blake Maris got the sensational inning going by singling off Brandon Komar who had come in out of the bullpen.
Gonzalez then got on base with a successful bunt, and Robinson followed with a single to center evening the game at five apiece.
Then the ‘on field’ fireworks really began!
Cardoza-Oquendo stepped into bat with bases loaded and appeared to be hit by a pitch.
However, plate umpire Jordan Palmisano was shielded by the Bullfrogs catcher from making the call.
After a three-minute discussion amongst the crew, it was ruled Cardoza-Oquendo was hit, sending the runner in from third, putting the Bullfrogs in front 6-5.
Displeased with the call, Chinooks head coach Travis Akre came onto the field and was tossed in the process.
The sequence of events seemed to spur the Bullfrogs on even more.
The next 15 batters produced six singles, five walks, and one additional hit by pitch.
It added up to an unimaginable 12 run inning that gave the Bullfrogs a 16-5 lead after six innings.
The Bullfrogs quickly added another in the seventh and the Chinooks a ninth inning run to produce the 13-run victory for Green Bay.
“Hitting is contagious,” added Shrider. “Once we got that first and second run in the sixth, the floodgates opened up. I also feel like they lost their cool a bit after the umpire’s call on Oquendo. We took advantage of the situation, and got a nice win here heading into an off day.”
Box Score
Green Bay: 002 0212 10x- 17,16,0
Lakeshore: 010 013 001- 6,11,1
