WAUSAU, Wi. – The Kalamazoo Growlers lost their first game of their final road trip of the season with a 12-8 loss against the Wisconsin Woodchucks on Saturday.

Kalamazoo allowed three home runs, and 13 free passes in the loss.

The Growlers got on the board first on a Zach Daniels RBI single in the first inning. The Chucks responded with a run of their own in the first on a Zach DeLoach single driving home Reese Alexiades.

A Jason Sullivan triple gave the Growlers the lead back in the second, then another Daniels RBI made it 3-1 plating Sullivan on a sac fly. The Growlers added three more in the fifth inning extending their lead to 6-1.

The Woodchucks would respond in the fifth inning scoring seven runs on just three hits. Two of the hits were Home Runs, and Kalamazoo committed an error in the field aiding the inning. There were also two hit batsmen in the frame and one walk.

Trailing by two entering the eighth inning the Growlers clawed back to tie the game at eight. With the bases loaded and one out the Woodchucks All-Star closer Lenny Gwizdala entered looking for a five out save. On a pick-off attempt to first base it was ruled Gwizdala balked, which meant Sullivan scored from third. A Cayman Richardson infield single would score another run to tie the game.

The lead would not last long for Kalamazoo with the Chucks responding with four runs in their half of the eighth. A two run home run for Alexiades would be the difference before the Chucks would tack on two more runs.

Gwizdala would complete the game in the ninth and pick up the win despite blowing the save. Jake Hausmann took the loss for Kalamazoo going 2.1 innings on the hill, surrendering four runs on five walks and one strikeout.

The Growlers will try to split the series with the Chucks tomorrow afternoon at Athletic Park with Jack Nelson on the mound.

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The Kalamazoo Growlers are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. Now in 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, 200 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.kalamazoogrowlers.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.