KALAMAZOO, MI — It was just one of those days. Kalamazoo’s bats weren’t at their best, only managing one run through the first seven innings. On the other hand, Kokomo put constant pressure on the Growlers pitching staff, forcing Elijah Gill out after four innings, and getting to the Growlers bullpen.

The Growlers actually took an early lead with that aforementioned one run. T.J. Williams hit a 352-foot no-doubt home run off of Kokomo starter Eston Stull to crack open the scoring, but unfortunately that’s all KZoo would manage off of Stull. The IU-Kokomo senior struck out 10 through five innings of work. His Kalamazoo counterpart Elijah Gill made it through four frames, allowing three earned runs on five hits.

After Gill, Michael Dunkelberger spun two scoreless innings. The lefty ran into a little trouble in the fifth, but retired the bottom of the Kokomo order to escape. He was removed after the sixth, and the Growlers couldn’t find the zone afterwards. Through the next two innings, four Kalamazoo arms combined for five earned runs on eight walks and just one hit. The offense battled back in the bottom of the eighth, scoring two on a Luke Storm ground-rule double and a Cooper Doughman sacrifice fly, but it would be too little, too late.

Kokomo took the road sweep, and sits just two games behind Traverse City in the Great Lakes East. With the loss, Kalamazoo drops into last place in the division, and travels north to play the Pit Spitters tomorrow at 7:05.