KALAMAZOO, MI – What started off as a dominant lead for the Kalamazoo Growlers quickly turned into an interesting game against the Green Bay Bullfrogs. The Growlers came out on top 13 – 10.
The Growlers scored first on a monster home run from Sam Hall in the bottom of the first inning. Kalamazoo kept the runs coming in the bottom of the second, scoring five runs. Those five runs came off of another monster home run, this time by Zach Daniels. Sam Hall had another RBI scoring Donovan Clark and the final run of the inning came from a Matt Mervis single to center field to score Hall.
The Bullfrogs couldn’t answer in the top of the third but that didn’t stop the Growlers from tacking on some more runs in the bottom. Ivan Johnson scored on a pickoff attempt at second base. Jason Sullivan then brought in another run with a single of his own.
Green Bay got one run back in the top of the fourth, but Kalamazoo answered yet again with two more runs of their own. Niko Kavadas scored on an Ivan Johnson triple down the first base line, then Johnson scored on an error by the catcher in the same exact play.
Green Bay fought their way back in the top of the sixth inning after a series of walks and wild pitches. The Bullfrogs one run in the top of the sixth, then one run again in the top of the seventh. The score going into the eighth inning was 10 – 3. Green Bay made the game more interesting by scoring five runs in the top of the eighth.
Kawambee Moss ended the eighth inning and got the Growlers out of a jam with an amazing diving catch in center field.
The Growlers added some runs of their own in the bottom of the eighth. George Mendazona scored on a Cayman Richardson single to left field. Johnson then gets another RBI on a single to left field. Then Moss gets an RBI scoring Richardson.
Green Bay made one last run in the top of the ninth scoring two runs, but the Growlers brought in Mason Shinaberry to get the last out and break the Growlers record for saves with seven.
Green Bay and Kalamazoo are back at it tomorrow night at 7:05 PM at Homer Stryker Field.
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The Kalamazoo Growlers are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. Entering its 25th anniversary season, the Northwoods 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, 190 former Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist (CHC) and Brandon Crawford (SFG) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (BOS), Jordan Zimmermann (DET) and Curtis Granderson (TOR). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League portal. For more information, visit www.growlersbaseball.com or download the new Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play and set the Growlers as your favorite team.