By: Joshua Salim

CHUGIAK, AK – The Chugiak-Eagle River Chinooks lost a heartbreaker 5-3 to the Anchorage Bucs after five runs were given up in the final inning.

Zach Sundine took the mound for the Chinooks and pitched five scoreless innings while striking out eight batters and surrendering two hits.

In the bottom of the fifth inning, Trevor Cho drew a walk from left-handed pitcher Liam Henry before Joe Brazil reached on a bunt single. Next up, Jess Davis moved both runners up with a sacrifice bunt and Brandon Cody brought in the first run with a sacrifice fly to centerfield. This was the only run given up by Henry in his five innings.

Joey Leavitt followed Sundine’s lead with two scoreless innings, recording three strikeouts and giving up two hits. In the eighth inning, Trevor McGhee relieved Leavitt and earned one strikeout in his lone inning. The Chinooks also put up an insurance run in the bottom half of the inning after Jess Davis doubled, stole third, and scored on J Paul Fullerton’s single to right field.

With a 2-0 lead entering the top of the ninth inning, Honus Kindreich came in to close the game. The Bucs flip-flopped a single and strikeout for the next four batters before the bases were loaded after Kindreich walked the fifth batter in the inning. Third-baseman Justin Cook was down to his last strike, but sat back on a curveball that he drove to the left field wall to clear the bases and send the Bucs ahead by a run. With the score 3-2, the Bucs lengthened their lead with a wild-pitch, single, and error that resulted in two more runs for a 5-2 lead entering the bottom half of the inning.

The Chinooks were able to scrap a single run across in the final inning off Pate Fullerton’s leadoff double, before Trevor Cho picked up an RBI on a groundout to second base.

Quick Facts:

Jess Davis went 2-4 with a double, single, and two stolen bases.

Haden Keller went 2-4 with a double, single, stolen base, and picked up his team leading fifth hit of the season.

Daniel Freeman has a hit in all three games this season.

Mason Corbett has reached at least once in every game this season.

The Chinooks will host the Anchorage Oilers at Lee Jordan Field Monday night at 7:00 p.m.