Green Bay, Wisc. – After a 16-run outburst against the Wisconsin Woodchucks on Wednesday, the Kalamazoo Growlers offense was unable to pick up Devin Pellien (Nova Southeastern) on the mound, as the Growlers drop the first game of the two-game series with the Green Bay Bullfrogs, 5-3.
Green Bay had come in batting .307 as a team over their past five games and kept that pace going against Kalamazoo early on. The Bullfrogs scored two in the first inning, one off the bat of Quincy Nieporte (Florida State), who drove in Parker Coss with an RBI double.
The Bullfrogs were able to get five runs off Pellien, who had not allowed more than two earned runs in a start since June. The Bradenton, Fla. native allowed five runs off a season-high nine hits while also recording six strikeouts and one walk.
The Growlers offense did have a burst of offense in the top of the seventh inning. Mitch Anderson (KVCC) started the frame off with a double followed by a pinch-hit walk from Jay Smith (KVCC). Connor Kopach (Southern Illinois) would drive in his 25th run of the season via a fielder’s choice for the first run of the game for the Growlers.
Matt Lloyd (Iowa Western) would follow Kopach in the order and clear the bases with a two-RBI double, his third hit of the day. Lloyd finished the game going 3-for-5 with two RBI to lead Kalamazoo offensively. The Indiana commit has a five-game hitting streak going with hits in 10 of his past 11 games.
The Growlers (31-32) have now lost six of their past seven and (31-32) look to get back to their winning ways on Friday against the Bullfrogs (30-33) at Joannes Stadium. Grant Wolfram (Central Michigan) will be on the bump for Kalamazoo with first pitch coming at 8:05 ET.
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The Kalamazoo Growlers are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. Playing its 23rd season of summer collegiate baseball, the Northwoods 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, more than 150 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 (DET), Curtis Granderson (NYM), Lucas Duda (NYM) and Ben Zobrist (CHC). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League portal. For more information, visit northwoodsleague.com/kalamazoo-growlers/ or download the new Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store and set the Growlers as your favorite team