Wasau,WI-  Growlers win 9-8 in a up and down see saw battle. Kalamazoo used some timely hitting and some Woodchucks mistakes to secure their 4th straight win. Here is how it unfolded.

Coming into this one the Growlers have scored at least 2 runs in the first inning the last 3 games, they scored 3 in the first inning tonight.  With the bases loaded and one out Jack Duffy (Missouri State) got things going with an RBI single scoring Micheal Diffley (SDSU). Drew Huff (MTSU) added a RBI on a fielders choice, and Matt Koehler (Western Carolina) added an RBI double to make it 3-0 Kalamazoo. The Chucks would get one back in the bottom of the first on a solo bomb to left by their second baseman Ivan Nunez (Hillsbourough CC), 3-1 Growlers.

Wisconinsin would tie it up in the bottom of the second on a RBI single from their center fielder Trtisan Clarke (New Orleans), and a sac fly from their catcher Aaron Soucy (Boston College), 3-3. Wisconsin would then take the lead in the bottom of the fourth on a RBI single from their firstbaseman Yeager Taylor (UC Riverside), 4-3 Chucks. Taylor would then commit a throwing error on a ball hit by Jack Duffy that required releif pitcher Erik Gutierrez (Los Angeles Harbor) to cover first. Taylor's throw would be to far to the right of Gutierrez allowing Connor Hollis (Houston) to  score to tie the game at 4 in the top of the fifth. The Chucks would commit 5 errors on the night.

Fast forward to the top of the seventh with the game still tied at 4 and Hollis at second after he reached on an error from Chucks third basemen Chad Fleischman (Lamar) to start the inning. Charlie Carpenter (USC Upstate) drove a double over the head of the Chucks right fielder Logan Foster (Texas A&M) to score Hollis and give the Growlers a 5-4 lead. Drew Huff and Matt Koehler would each add 2 out RBI hits to push the Kalamazoo lead to three, 7-4 Growlers. However, the Chucks would not go quietly into the night. Trey Dawson (Chipola) would hit a two run bomb to center field to bring Wisconsin within 1, 7-6 Growlers. 

Kalamazoo would add an insurance run in the top of the 8th on a throwing error from Chucks relief pitcher Daniel Sprinkle (Auburn). A grounder hit right back at Sprinkle off the bat of Connor Hollis hit of the big right handers glove and kicked away to the left of the mound and Sprinkle air mailed the throw to first and allowed Kaleb Murphy (USC) to score from second and make it 8-6 Growlers.

Wisconsin would keep fighting and tie the game up at 8 in the bottom of the 8th on a 2 out 2 RBI double from Logan Foster. Top nine now and Jack Duffy led off the inning with a sharp single to left field, and would advance to second on a sac bunt from Drew Huff, one of four sac bunts on the night for the Growlers. Matt Koehler stepped up to the plate already being 3-3 on the day with two RBIs, well he made it 4-4 with three RBIs scoring Duffy from second on a line shot single back up the middle to give the Growlers their 9th and eventual winning run as Walter Talcott (Earlham College) closed the door in the ninth earning his second save in as many days.

Growlers go for their 5th straight tommorow in game two against the Wisconsin Woodchucks. 7:35 ET first pitch from Athletic Park. Tyler Drabick (Kent State) gets the start against right hander Payton Coffman (Cisco College).

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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 160 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.