Green Bay, Wis.- The Kalamazoo Growlers losing streak hit 3 games as they fell to the Green Bay Bullfrogs, 7-6, on a walk-off base hit late Wednesday night. The Growlers (5-4) trailed for most of the evening having a two run top of the first negated by a four run response from the Bullfrogs (6-3) in the bottom half of the frame. Kalamazoo scored one in the third, but zeros covered the scoreboard from the fourth until the bottom half of the eighth when Green Bay added an insurance run to make the score 5-3.
This is when the chaos began in Green Bay. A one out single, followed by a clutch double from Jalen Phillips (Duke) put the tying runs in scoring position for the away team. A passed ball and seeing-eye RBI single from Troy Montgomery (Ohio State) tied the game at 5. Ryan Spaulding (Ball State) scored Montgomery on another flair that dropped in front of the Bullfrogs right-fielder and Kalamazoo had their first lead since the top of the 1st inning. The lead did not last long as an error, hit-by-pitch, and sac bunt put the tying and winning runs in scoring position the home team. After a perfectly executed squeeze and an intentional walk to Dennis Colon (Illinois State), Matthew De La Rosa (Lenoir-Rhyne) provided the heroics with the walk-off single.
Luke Watson (UW-Stevens Point) was credited with the win, and Dillon Haviland (Duke) took his first loss of the season. Joshua Buchalski (Michigan State) went 6 strong innings out of the bullpen, striking out 9 and only surrendering 1 hit.
The Kalamazoo Growlers will be back in action tomorrow night as they take on these same Green Bay Bullfrogs. First pitch is scheduled for 8:05pm E.S.T
The Kalamazoo Growlers are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. Playing its 21st 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 115 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (DET) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (CWS), Jordan Zimmermann (WAS), Curtis Granderson (NYM), Allen Craig (STL) and Ben Zobrist (TB). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League YouTube channel. For more information, visit http://www.growlersbaseball.com.