Seven hits help get six runs in for Piechocki’s club

Kalamazoo, Mich., — The Kalamazoo Growlers took down the Kalamazoo Mac Daddies 6-4 in an Independence Day showdown. The win comes after two straight losses to the Battle Creek Bombers.

The Growlers came out hot scoring three runs in the top of the first. Garrett Schultz (Xavier) walked and advanced on a single by Carson Greene (Stanford). Greene’s Cardinal teammate, Brett Barrera,  drove home Schultz in the next at-bat on a single to put the Growlers up 1-0. Greene and Barrera scored on a double in the left-center gap by Luke Stephenson (Xavier). 

The Mac and Cheese also came out bubbling as Anthony Calarco (Northwestern) drove in Kyle Ashworth (Cal Poly) on a single. Two batters later, Connor McGuire (UC-Irvine) knocked the first home run in Mac Daddies history to score Garrett Navarra (CMU) and Calarco.

More offense was added by the Growlers in the fifth, courtesy of an RBI single by Schultz and RBI groundout by Barrera. Schultz and Will Morrison (WMU) scored as a result.

The final run was tacked on in the seventh on a ground-rule double by Blake Dunn (WMU) who later scored after stealing third and reaching home on a throwing error.

For the Mac Daddies, Dane Armbrustmacher (WMU) made his debut and went two innings with as many strikeouts. On the Growlers side, Chris Brown (Triton College), Griffin Lanoue (Xavier), and Andre Orselli (Ball State) all had two strikeouts in one inning pitched.

Aaron Hubbell (Belmont) was given the win after two innings, allowing one hit and striking out one, while Sean Allison (KVCC) was credited with the loss. Adam Wheaton (Trine) recorded his first save with a walk and strikeout in one inning pitched.

The Kalamazoo Growlers now have three days off while the Mac Daddies return to action tomorrow against the Battle Creek Bombers. First pitch is set for 1:05 p.m.