FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Kalamazoo, Mich. – In a 7-5 extra-innings win against the Rockford Rivets on Thursday, July 18, Growlers manager Cody Piechocki secured his 300th career win.

Piechocki is just one of five managers in Northwoods League history with over 300 wins in his career. Now in his ninth season as the skipper, Piechocki was named the manager on Wednesday, July 6, 2016, after two previous seasons as an assistant coach.

After back-to-back seasons of under .500 records, Piechocki turned it around for the organization in 2018 securing the Growlers its first postseason berth in franchise history. Since then Piechocki has brought the Growlers to the Northwoods League playoffs four of the last five full seasons, winning the Growlers’ first-ever Northwoods League title in 2022.

Piechocki secured his 250th win on July 9, 2023, at Kenosha in another extra-innings win over the Kingfish before leading the Growlers to the postseason in August.

Piechocki captures another milestone on a historic career in Kalamazoo with an overall record of 300-294 between regular and postseason wins.

 

 

Game Recap:

– Coming off of back-to-back Northwoods League Pitchers of the night, Growlers starter Liam O’Brien wavered in the first inning. Following a one-out single, back-to-back walks on nine pitches loaded the bases. An error at second brought Brayden Bakes to put the Rivets up. O’Brien would retire the next two on a strikeout and a groundout to end the inning.

– Both staffs settled in through the next three innings as Liam O’Brien stranded five more runners, striking out six. Rockford starter Aaron Sanchez and reliever Luke Leverton each put together three scoreless innings as K-Zoo’s offense opened up slowly.

– Rockford poked through again in the fifth forcing Liam O’Brien out of the ball game. An RBI single by AJ Taylor and pickle play brought home a pair to extend the Rivets’ lead to three.

– After a quiet start, Kalamazoo’s offense finally broke open in the seventh against Rockford’s bullpen. After a leadoff error, back-to-back walks forced a pitching change with the bases loaded. An RBI walk by Jeremy Comer set up an RBI groundout by Antonio Perrotta to bring K-Zoo back within one. A walk and an RBI groundout later and the ballgame was tied. A batter later, Brodey Acres delivered with the lone hit of the game, shooting a two-RBI single to center field.

– Rockford answered with a solo home run by Maddox Mihalakhis to lead off the seventh but would stay quiet in the eighth. In the ninth, a single and hit by pitch forced the corners in. An error on a bunt to first brought home a run and put the game-winning run in scoring position. A fielder’s choice to get the lead runner kept runners at first and second with one out. With one out and the game-winning run in scoring position, K-Zoo turned its first double play in nearly a week to force the game into extras. 

– In the tenth, a Brodey Acres bunt single set up runners at the corners, and nobody out. A steal of second and strikeout later brought up Eric Becker. On a chopper to third, Rockford’s AJ Taylor threw the ball away coming home bringing home one before another errant throw forced by Acres put the Growlers up by two. Aaron Robertson followed up the frame with a 1-2-3 bottom of the 10th, securing his first win of the season.