KENOSHA, Wis. – The Kenosha Kingfish (26-17) made a massive late-inning comeback in foggy weather against the Kalamazoo Growlers to earn a 13-11 victory at Historic Simmons Field on Thursday night. The two teams combined for 32 hits in the game and eight hit batters.
It was a night that saw both teams grapple with big rallies at the plate and big disappointments on the mound.
The two teams traded blows in their first two respective at-bats. Kenosha scored first in the bottom of the first inning, but Kalamazoo struck back with two in the top of the second. The Kingfish were able to get back ahead in the bottom of the second thanks to two hit by pitches and a walk, followed by a 2-run double by designated hitter Jesse Wilkening (Nebraska).
Kalamazoo wouldn’t take another lead until the sixth inning, when they entered the frame down 5-4 and strung together three hits and a hit-by-pitch to score three times and jump in front. They extended that lead in the eighth inning, scoring four more times on four more hits and another hit by pitch to jump out to what was an imposing 11-6 lead.
The eighth inning, however, seemed to be an inning in which Kenosha caught every break they possibly could. After a hit-by-pitch and walk started the inning, third baseman Tim Millard (Dallas Baptist) cracked a double to chase home his first RBI of the night. There was then an RBI groundout by catcher Cameron Comer (Virginia), but that was the only break Growlers pitching would get in the inning. The next four hitters all came through with singles, followed by a game-tying sacrifice fly by Wilkening.
First baseman Derek Bangert (Bradley) then launched a go-ahead 2-run double to left-center, providing the final momentum swing in a wild comeback win for Kenosha.
The two teams completed the game in four hours and 21 minutes, following a 15-minute delay before the game due to field conditions another delay in the top of the ninth inning because of lights turning off at the field.
Center fielder Connor Doyle (University of San Diego) made history at the plate in multiple ways on Thursday, going 5-for-5 with a home run, three doubles and a walk. With the performance, he became the first player in Kingfish history to double three times in one game, as well as the first Kingfish player to reach base six times in one game.
Bangert finished 3-for-4 with a double, walk, hit by pitch and two RBI’s, Wilkening finished 2-for-5 with four RBI’s, and second baseman Mike Madej (Purdue) finished 2-for-6 with two RBI’s.
The Kingfish will return home on Friday to go for a series sweep over the Growlers, with game time set for 7:05p.m.
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The Kenosha Kingfish are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. The 23-year-old summer collegiate league is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 20 teams, drawing significantly more fans, in a friendly ballpark experience, than any league of its kind. A valuable training ground for coaches, umpires and front office staff, more than 170 former Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including two-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS), two-time World Series Champion Ben Zobrist (CHC) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (BOS), Jordan Zimmermann (DET), Curtis Granderson (NYM) and Lucas Duda (NYM). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League portal. For more information, visit www.kingfishbaseball.com or download the new Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play and set the Kingfish as your favorite team.
