Rosemont, Ill. — In an absolutely wild opener to the East Divisional Series, the Lake Country DockHounds dropped Game 1 in the best-of-three to the Chicago Dogs on a walk-off home run in the ninth inning by Chance Sisco, 11-9.
Lake Country’s offense scored in three innings – the third, eighth, and ninth. In the bottom half of all three of those frames, the Dogs were able to counter with a crooked number.
After falling behind in the second inning 2-0, the DockHounds scored five times in the third before an out was recorded. Chavez Young, Aaron Hill, and Ray Zuberer III all started the frame with singles to pull the DockHounds within a run. Then, Brian O’Keefe tucked the first pitch inside the left field line for a go-ahead double. Two pitches later, Ryan Hernandez hit the DockHounds first postseason home run to make it 5-2.
As quickly as the DockHounds put up five, as did Chicago. Luke Hansel put together the best DockHounds starting pitching season ever, but could only get six out in his professional postseason debut and was tacked with five earned runs.
The 7-5 score held from the fourth inning until the eighth. Gleyvin Pineda, Bryce Bonnin, Trey Riley, and Trey Dillard combined to hold the dogs without an earned run until Demetrius Sims connected on a solo home run with two outs in the eighth to pull the DockHounds within a run.
Dillard got the bottom of the eighth after finishing the seventh inning, and after a leadoff walk appeared to get the first out a fielder’s choice. Upon further review, the umpires overturned the call that Sims tagged the runner, putting two runners on with no outs. Those two runs scored as insurance runs, giving the Dogs their largest lead of the night.
Dogs closer Jacob Delabio entered to lock up the opener, and after striking out the leadoff batter, Zuberer doubled to before an O’Keefe single brought Hernandez to the plate as the tying run. Hernandez spit on the 1-2 breaking ball and launched the next offering for a game-tying three run home run.
Robert Gsellman struck out the final batter of the eighth, then got the first two outs of the ninth on only two pitches. Against TJ Hopkins, Gsellman had him in a two-strike count before a single extended the frame, and then Sisco went out of the zone and somehow snuck a walk-off home run inside the right field foul pole.
Lake Country heads home for Game 2 Friday night, needing a win to extend the season. RHP Jacob Nix will make the start in his second appearance back with the DockHounds. With a win Friday, the DockHounds would host a decisive Game 3 Saturday night. Friday’s game will be at 6:35, with tickets available at dockhounds.com/playoffs.
