KALAMAZOO, MI – The Fond du Lac Dock Spiders beat the Kalamazoo Growlers 13-4 Sunday at Homer Stryker Field. The Dock Spiders took advantage of the Growlers’ mistakes and the Kalamazoo offense couldn’t convert enough chances on the day, stranding 11 runners. 

The Dock Spiders got off to a quick start. They scored 3 runs in the first inning. Kalamazoo starter Daniel Ritcheson got the first two outs and was in a position to get out of the inning. However, a throwing error by Connor Hollis allowed two runs to score. Eric Gilgenbach then singled to score another run. 

The Growlers got one run back in the bottom half of the inning. Michael Diffley reached on an error and came around to score after a bases loaded walk to Ivan Estrella. 

In the top of the second Fond du Lac added another run with a sacrifice fly off the bat of Chris Cornelius. Caleb Summerhays just beat out the throw of Matt Schwarz in left field to make it a 4-1 ballgame. In the bottom half of the inning the Growlers responded when Drew Huff singled with the bases loaded, bringing in two runs making it a 4-3 game. 

The Dock Spiders would answer again in the third with a three-run home run by Caleb Summerhays. The Growlers would get one run back in the bottom half of the third after an error by the Dock Spiders’ third baseman allowed Ivan Estrella to score. 

With the score 8-4 in the eighth, the Dock Spiders would add five more to their lead. Brandon Wulff scored after Drew Huff couldn’t handle a grounder with the bases loaded. Then, Caleb Summerhays picked up his seventh RBI of the day with a grand slam home run off of Quinton Foresster.

The Growlers will hit the road for a Wisconsin road trip, facing the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters and Madison Mallards, before coming home to play the Wisconsin Woodchucks on Saturday, August 5. 

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The Kalamazoo Growlers are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. The 23-year-old summer collegiate 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, more than 180 former Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including two-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS), two-time World Series Champion Ben Zobrist (CHC) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (BOS), Jordan Zimmermann (DET), Curtis Granderson (NYM) and Lucas Duda (NYM).  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.