FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 10, 2019
Contact: Jackson Kaplan, Kalamazoo Growlers
jkapla11@uncc.edu
Kalamazoo, MI — The Kalamazoo Growlers (8-6) return to the win column with a strong 8-1 victory over the visiting Traverse City Pit Spitters (6-8) from Homer Stryker Field Monday evening. The Growlers jumped on the visitors early with a six-run second frame to cruise to a much-needed home win.
In the second inning, a RBI single from Hunter Thorn (Purdue Northwest) got the offensive fireworks started followed by a three-run blast courtesy of Emilio Rosas (USC) to take a 4-0 lead. Shea Kramer (Utah) capped off the inning with a two-run shot of his own to make it 6-0.
Traverse City drove home its lone run of the contest on a sacrifice fly in the top of the third to cut the deficit to 6-1. The Growlers tacked on a pair of insurance runs in the fifth on a Thorn RBI double and RBI groundout from Jake Topolski (Duke) to stretch the margin to 8-1.
Kalamazoo starting pitcher Michael Dunkelberger (Indiana) earned the win in his first start of the season, improving to 1-0. Dunkelberger put together a stellar performance, allowing just one run on four hits with six strikeouts through six innings of work. Growler’s relievers Spencer Juergens (Missouri) and Kaden Helsel (Drury) combined for two perfect frames in relief to shut the door.
The Kalamazoo Growlers will venture 35 minutes down I-94 tomorrow morning, facing the Battle Creek Bombers for the third time this summer. First pitch is slated for an 7:05 p.m. start. Tomorrow begins a stretch of four straight games for the Growlers this week against their rivals.
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