KALAMAZOO, MI – Kalamazoo is currently on a 3-game losing streak and all of those games have been decided by one run. Starting pitcher Connor Manous left the game after throwing 5.1 innings of scoreless baseball, and when he exited the game he was in line for the win as the Growlers had a 2-0 lead. Manous was named as the Growlers’ only Northwoods League All-Star and he pitched like it tonight as he did not allow a run while striking out 4.

 Things fell apart for the bullpen in the 7th inning however, as Kalamazoo was still ahead 2-0. George Lamb got the first 2 outs of the inning, and then things fell out of hand. Lamb proceeded to give up a single, a walk, a double, and another single, all-in-all giving up 4 earned runs in a big 7th inning for the Kingfish. The Growlers were able to fight back from the 2-run deficit by scoring runs in the bottom of the 7th and bottom of the 9th, however, in the top of the 10th Mitch Bigras surrendered what ended up being the game winning run. In total, the Growlers’ bullpen pitched 4.2 innings allowing 5 earned runs and 4 walks. On the other hand, Kenosha’s bullpen was efficient allowing only 2 runs in 5 innings, and even though he wasn’t able to protect the lead and get the save in the 9th Billy McKay pitched excellent. He threw 2.1 innings, and besides the 9th inning, he fooled Growlers’ hitters continuously with a nasty slider.

Offensive standouts for Kalamazoo include Drew Huff who was 3 for 4 with a walk, and a double. Connor Hollis also had a good night at the plate going 3 for 5 with 2 RBIs. Hollis also came up clutch in the 9th inning as he drove in the game tying run to send the game into extras after a Jeff Reidel double to start the rally. For Kenosha, Jesse Wilkening went 3 for 4 today with a run scored, and Coll Stanley went 1 for 3 and drove in the game winning run with a sacrifice fly in the 10th to score Jesse Wilkening.

The Growlers will be back in town Saturday the 15th and they will take on the Fond Du Lac Dock Spiders. Kalamazoo will also welcome softball legend Jennie Finch for an appearance during the game. This will be a short two-game series before the start of the Northwoods League All-Star break.

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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.