Battle Jacks Fall 13-3 to Kingfish, Lose Fifth Straight

BATTLE CREEK, MI — The Battle Creek Battle Jacks dropped their fifth straight game on Saturday night, falling 13-3 to the Kenosha Kingfish at MCCU Field.

Kenosha jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the opening inning and never looked back, highlighted by a home run to right field from Dawson Downs.

Both starting pitchers settled in after the first, as Battle Creek’s Ian Junkin and Kenosha’s Jackson Sobel combined for three scoreless innings to keep the score unchanged.

The Battle Jacks got on the board in the fifth inning when Brendan Thompson delivered an RBI single to cut the deficit to 2-1.

The Kingfish responded in the sixth, plating three runs to extend their lead to 5-1. RBI hits from J.R. Nelson and Owen Nowak helped Kenosha regain control of the game.

Kenosha added another run in the seventh before the Battle Jacks answered in the eighth on a sacrifice fly from Dayne Wimberly, scoring Brendan Thompson.

The game broke open in the ninth inning as the Kingfish erupted for seven runs, stretching their lead to 13-2. Battle Creek added a run in the bottom half of the inning, but it wasn’t enough as the Kingfish secured the 13-3 victory.

The Battle Jacks return to action Sunday evening as they conclude their series against Kenosha, with first pitch scheduled for 5:05 p.m.

About the Battle Jacks & the Northwoods League

The Battle Creek Battle Jacks are a proud member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. The Northwoods League is the proven leader in the development of elite college baseball players. Entering its 33rd season, the 26-team Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in history, drawing significantly more fans in a more friendly ballpark experience than any league of its kind.

A valuable training ground for coaches, umpires, and front office staff, over 410 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including three-time All-Star and 2016 Roberto Clemente Award winner Curtis Granderson; three-time Cy Young Award winner and two-time World Series Champion Max Scherzer (TOR); two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist and Brandon Crawford; World Series Champion Chris Sale (ATL); 2019 Rookie of the Year and 2019/2021 Home Run Derby Champion Pete Alonso (BAL); and 2023 World Series Champion, MLB All-Star, MLB Gold Glove and Silver Slugger winner and two-time All-MLB first team shortstop Marcus Semien (NYM).