The conditions weren’t always pretty. Rain blanketed the 11:05 first pitch, and forced multiple stoppages as Kalamazoo’s bullpen pitchers went out to fix divots in the mound and batters’ boxes. The baseball wasn’t the cleanest either. The Growlers walked 12 times, and advanced around the bases as multiple pitches went to the backstop. However, KZoo fought through it all to come away with a 10-0 win, splitting the series with the Kokomo Jackrabbits.

Tanner Knapp tossed another solid start for Kalamazoo, going six innings and striking out nine while only allowing three hits. The redshirt freshman had success locating his fastball on the corners early on, then mixed in his off-speed to sit down Jackrabbits. His slider was biting, sitting in the low 80s with sharp break. Knapp gave a Growlers bullpen that had used nine arms in the past two days a much-needed breather. Luke Krkovski and Hayden Berg also tossed three low-pressure scoreless innings in relief.

Offensively, it was the middle of the Kalamazoo order that did the work. Cooper Doughman, batting sixth in the order, smoked a leadoff double and came around on a wild pitch in the top of the second to get the scoring started. Ian McCutcheon, back in the lineup after a day off, did the same in the fourth. Kokomo starter Eston Stull was done after four innings, and the Growlers took advantage of a wild Jackrabbits bullpen. Three runs scored on five walks, and Stephen Cullen roped a single and scored as well. Cullen also hit a 378-foot no-doubter in the sixth. Kalamazoo plated two runs in both the seventh and eighth on the way to the victory.

The Growlers welcome the Lakeshore Chinooks to Homer Stryker for the first of a two-game set tomorrow. First pitch is at 6:35.