KALAMAZOO, MI – It was the night of the long ball at Homer Stryker Field this evening as there were a total of seven home runs hit between the Kalamazoo Growlers and the Kenosha Kingfish. The Growlers got the big one, however, thanks to a three-run moon shot by Nick Hutchins in the bottom of the eighth to give Kalamazoo the win by a score of 10-8.
The second inning proved to be a tone-setter for the remainder of the game. Kenosha was able to get five runs in the top of the inning on an RBI base hit, a wild pitch, and a three-run home run in the top of the inning. The Growlers responded with five two-out runs of their own in the bottom of the inning to tie the game up. Tre Gantt (Ohio State) got the scoring going with a double that plated Western Michigan's Connor Smith. Matt Lloyd (Iowa Western) followed up the double with a three-run bomb that brought both Gantt and Connor Kopach (Southern Illinois) across the plate. Nick Hutchins (Southern Illinois) capped off the second inning with a solo home run to tie up the ball game.
Kenosha got two unanswered runs on a Marty Bechina home run in the top of the third and an RBI base hit by Blake Reese in the fourth. Kalamazoo was able to tie the game back up in the bottom of the fourth on a Kopach home run that brought Gantt home.
Dylan Rosa got Kenosha back on top in the seventh on a solo home run into the Miller Light Party Zone in left field to make it 8-7.
Nick Hutchins brought what was already an incredible game for him to the plate in the bottom of the eighth when he sent a 1-0 fastball way over the left field wall to give Kalamazoo a 10-8 advantage. Lloyd and Gantt both scored on what ended up being the game winning home run.
Kopach, Lloyd, and Hutchins, who were the top three batters in the Growlers' order this evening, ended the game a combined 6 for 8 with four home runs and nine RBIs.
Kalamazoo and Kenosha will be back in action tomorrow night at Homer Stryker Field at 7:05 p.m. EDT.
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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 www.growlersbaseball.com or download the new Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store and set the Growlers as your favorite team.