Kalamazoo, Mich – After a tough loss on Wednesday and a blowout at the hands of the Green Bay Bullfrogs on Thursday, the Kalamazoo Growlers will return to Homer Stryker Field on Friday night, to take on the Waterloo Bucks.
The Growlers (5-5) are currently on a four-game skid after dropping both to the Bullfrogs (7-3). The Growlers lost in the bottom of the ninth innings to the Bullfrogs on Wednesday after Green Bay scored four in the last frame to top the Growlers, 7-6.
On Thursday, the Growlers allowed nine runs in the sixth inning as 15 Bullfrogs strolled to the plate in that inning, putting the game out of reach for the Growlers.
The Bucks (4-6) come into Kalamazoo from Battle Creek, where they split their two-game series with the Bombers. The Bucks snapped their own losing streak of five games on Thursday in a 9-3 win.
Waterloo is currently seventh in the South Division of the Northwoods League in batting average with a .226 team average. They are also eighth in slugging percentage and OPS (on-base percentage plus slugging percentage). The pitching for Waterloo has been average through five games, as they are fifth in the division with a 4.24 ERA.
Jared Kujawa (Western Michigan) went 3-for-8 with a double in Green Bay. The junior right fielder's bat is still red hot, as he extended his hitting streak to eight games. Troy Montgomery (Ohio State), John Rubino (Eastern Michigan) and Ryan Bull (Notre Dame) lead the team with seven RBI each.
Friday is Walmart-Sam's Club Fireworks and Flat Screen Giveaway presented by Marvin Okun Agency. There will also be a catcher's mask giveaway presented by Superior Imaging Printmill for the first 500 fans. Saturday is Consumers Credit Union Super Saturday and the first 500 fans through the gate will receive a Drew Smyly mini-bobblehead. It will also be Milham Golf Night on Saturday at the ballpark.
Both Friday and Saturday's games will begin at 7:05 p.m. with the gates opening one hour prior to the first pitch.
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 (NYAll league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League YouTube channel. For more informationM), Allen Craig (STL) and Ben Zobrist (TB). , visit http://www.growlersbaseball.com.