GREEN BAY, WI – The runs kept coming for both sides as the Kalamazoo Growlers scored early but not often enough against the Green Bay Bullfrogs, dropping their fifth straight game 12-7 on Friday night at Joannes Stadium.

The Growlers (3-9, 11-34) got the ball rolling in the second inning. Nick Yarnall (Pittsburgh) led off with a single then after a two-out base hit by John Soteropulos (California) and a walk, Kory Young (Michigan State) jumped on a fastball and laced it to the left field corner. All three runs scored on Young’s double and Kalamazoo jumped out to a 3-0 lead.

The Bullfrogs (7-3, 29-16) responded with a touchdown in their half of the second. Mason George (McLennan CC) started it with a two-run double, then Logan Taylor (Louisville) singled and Robb Paller (Columbia) doubled to make it 4-3. Brian Celsi drove in one with a base hit and Ryan Donovan (Hofstra) singled home a pair more to give Green Bay a 7-3 advantage.

Kalamazoo restarted the engines in the fourth inning as Soteropulos singled, Angelo Armenta (USC) walked, and Young singled with one out. Corey Dempster (USC) then drew a bases-loaded walk to make it 7-4. After Justin Fletcher (Northern Illinois) plated another on a fielder’s choice, Jordan Stading (Houston) hit a double to right field to score one. Another run tailed in on a Paller error, and the Growlers pulled back even 7-7.

Green Bay took the lead for good in the bottom of the fourth on back-to-back doubles by Celsi and Mikey Duarte (UC-Irvine). The Bullfrogs then tacked on three in the fifth, highlighted by Paller’s second RBI double of the contest. Jack Strunc (Washington) homered in the eighth inning to give the game its final margin.

Chad Dullnig (Ranger College, 2-1) earned the win for Green Bay with 1.1 scoreless innings in the middle of five Bullfrog pitchers. TJ Cerven (KVCC/GVSU, 0-4) took the loss by allowing a pair of runs in two innings of relief of starter Ryan May (LSU), who allowed six runs (five earned) in 1.1 frames.

Young led the Kalamazoo attack, going 3-for-4 with a double, run, and three RBIs. Yarnall went 2-for-5 with a double and run, while Soteropulos singled and scored twice, and Armenta crossed home two times.

Celsi and Strunc each had three hits, two runs, and one RBI for the Bullfrogs, while Donovan went 2-for-4 with a pair driven in.

The Growlers now return home for a two-game set with the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters. First pitch on Saturday at Homer Stryker Field is set for 7:05 p.m.

The Northwoods League is the proven leader in the development of elite college baseball players. The 22-year old summer collegiate league is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 18 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, 120 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (CWS), Jordan Zimmermann (WAS), Curtis Granderson (NYM), Lucas Duda (NYM) and Ben Zobrist (OAK). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League YouTube channel. For more information, visit http://www.northwoodsleague.com.