Kokomo, Ind. – The Growlers completed the series sweep of the Kokomo Jackrabbits tonight, June 30 after their 6-2 win at Kokomo Municipal Stadium.

The win is the third straight for the Zoo and the seventh win in their past nine games and it all got started with the Growlers captain Eamon Horwedel. In his fifth quality start of the season and fifth outing of seven or more innings of work, the Horwedel dazzled once again on the mound. Horwedel found the zone early and often, throwing a first-pitch strike to 23 of 26 batters faced, jumping his first-pitch strike percentage to a Northwoods League-best 74.1. 

The Growlers’ defense also came through when asked, with Gabe Springer and Jeter Ybarra snagging multiple potential line drive base hits out of the air. At the end of the night, Horwedel’s line was as follows: 7 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 BB, and 4 K. The outing for Horwedel drops his ERA down to a Northwoods League seventh-best 1.96 across a Northwoods League most 36.1 innings. 

Offensively, the Growlers were less potent than they were in their 10-2 victory on Wednesday but would provide enough support for the Growler arms. Gabe Springer would start it off with his 18th RBI of the season, scoring Kevin Krill in the third. Springer makes it now 10 of 16 games played that he has brought home a run. Joey Winters would follow up with an RBI single of his own, scoring Springer to make it 2-0.

After four scoreless innings, the Growlers would tack on two more in the eighth. The first would come home after mid-at-bat, Kyle Houts the third base coach for the Growlers brought Banks Tolley, the two runners on base, and manager Cody Piechocki together for a quick conversation. Tolley would then show bunt the next pitch but the reliever Aiden Torpey threw it to the backstop, allowing Gabe Springer to score on the wild pitch. A batter later, Luke Mitchell would bring home Joey Winters on an RBI single to center.

Kalamazoo would tack on two more in the top of the ninth on a squeeze bunt from Will Furniss and an RBI triple from Gabe Springer before Jerad Berkenpas would shut it down in the ninth.

Berkenpas, after loading the bases, would strike out Derek Seigneur to end the ballgame, securing his second save of the season.

The Growlers are on the road again tomorrow taking on their I-94 rival in the Battle Creek Battle Jacks. On a food fight night, the Growlers will become the Mac Daddies as the Battle Jacks show off their Doughnut threads. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. ET at MCCU Field.