KALAMAZOO, MI., — The Growlers’ pitching blanks Battle Creek, as they win their first game against the Bombers by a score of 5-0.

The Growlers started the scoring in the first inning against the Bombers’ starter Ryan Vogt (Southeast Missouri State University). In his first game back from a one-game suspension for arguing with the umpire, Blake Dunn (Western Michigan University) led off the game with a single and a stolen base. Brett Barrera (Stanford University) followed it up with a single, which moved Dunn over to third. Dunn would score on a sacrifice fly from Shea Kramer (University of Utah), while Barrera scored via a single by Luke Stephenson (Xavier University).

Griffin Lanoue (Xavier University) got the start for the Growlers, pitching two innings of one hit ball. He worked with great efficiency, throwing just 23 pitches and facing seven batters.

In the top of the second, the Growlers were threatening with the bases loaded and one out, as Dunn was walked to load the bases. Barrera was looking for his seventh RBI of the season but instead grounded into a double play, as Vogt got out of trouble without giving up a single run,

Kalamazoo scored again in the fourth inning, as Carson Greene (Stanford University) started things off with a walk. He and Will Morrison (Western Michigan University)  came around to score on a two-RBI single from the bat of Ben Chosid (Kalamazoo College). Barrera would end the inning via a double play with runners on first and second.

The Bombers threatened offensively, with runners on first and second with only one out in both the fifth and sixth inning. Despite that, Battle Creek left all four stranded on base. In the fifth, Jax Wardwell (Eastern Kentucky University) and pinch hitter, Peter Hutzal (Marshall University) flew out to Dunn. In the sixth, Joe Mason (University of Mount Olive) struck out swinging, as Taylor Clifton (Kalamazoo Valley Community College) worked out of trouble. Clifton threw 25 pitches, striking out two and walking two in his lone inning of work.

After a one, two, three inning from Chandler Schultz (Belmont University) in the top of the seventh, the Growlers would tack on another run, extending their lead to five. Barrera scored after Hutzal booted a hot shot off the bat of Stephenson.

Overall, the Bombers’ bats struggled, as the Growlers worked five one, two, three innings.

In the ninth inning, Will Mullen (Western Michigan University) finished the Bombers off in just four batters. Mason hit a single with two outs, but John Malcom (University of Tampa) grounded out to end the game.

Vogt would record the loss on the night, dropping to an 0-1 record. He pitched 3.1 innings, surrendering four runs and allowing seven base runners.

For the Growlers, Luke Scoles (Central Michigan) was named the winning pitcher, as he pitched the third and fourth inning. Scoles worked two one, two, three innings, striking out four batters.

The Bombers will have Monday, July 13 off but will play the next day, July 14, against the Kalamazoo Mac Daddies. First pitch is set for 6:35 p.m.