Postgame Recap Story presented by Townsquare Media

KALAMAZOO, Mich. — The Kalamazoo Growlers (3-1) rode strong pitching and situational hitting to an 8-3 win over the Lakeshore Chinooks (1-3) Thursday night.

The top of the first inning saw the Chinooks rally with two outs, taking a 2-0 lead before the Growlers got a chance to swing the bats. Lakeshore starter Carter Kutz would exit the game after three innings of shutout ball, and the Growlers offense would begin to click. A run in the fourth would make it 3-1 before the Growlers would load the bases to open the fifth.

After loading the bases, Jaxon Clayton would exit the game as Kalamazoo would start to chip away. A single, sacrifice fly, and walk would give Kalamazoo the lead for the first time in the night. Following the four run fifth, Jeremiah Holder would exit for the Growlers after five innings of three run ball, leaving with a 4-3 lead.

“It’s a game, you’re gonna give up runs and you’ve gotta get back on the horse, go right at them, and see what happens,” Jeremiah Holder said postgame.

The sixth would see more Growler runs as another sacrifice fly and RBI single would stretch the lead. Two more runs in the eighth would be the final scoring of the game, as Coleman Morrison would throw a scoreless sixth and seventh while Bryan Carney would go scoreless in the eighth and ninth, earning the save.

“A nine inning game is a long game, there’s multiple phases to it…. you can always look at they scored early, this, and that, but the result is three runs through six and later… the offense did a nice job of settling in and letting the game develop,” Coach Piechocki said following the win.

The Growlers took advantage of four sacrifice flys and two bases-loaded walks en route to the win. On the pitching side, following a rocky first inning, Holder, Morrison, and Carney would combine for eight innings of one-run ball, shutting down the Lakeshore offense.

The Growlers will take their 3-1 record into the I-94 Rivalry Series as the Battle Creek Battle Jacks (3-1) come to Kalamazoo for a doubleheader Friday.

“Get some rest tonight, fuel up, and get to it tomorrow. That’s really it,” Holder said.

The first game is scheduled for 10:35 a.m. while game two will begin at 6:35 p.m. The first game features another education day effort, with a pregame STEM fair and local elementary school’s filling the stands.