Kalamazoo, Mich – After falling to the Madison Mallards in Game 1 of the doubleheader on Friday, the Kalamazoo Growlers salvaged a split on the road by beating their South division rival in Game 2, 4-1.
Kalamazoo struggled to get anything going in the first game of the doubleheader, mustering up only four hits against four different Madison pitchers. Trey Ganns (Northern Kentucky) led the way offensively for the Growlers, going 1-for-2 with an RBI.
Grant Wolfram (Central Michigan) picked up the loss for the Growlers, allowing four runs off four hits while striking out two and walking two as well. Matt McCann (Farleigh Dickinson) and Josh Stowers (Louisville) led the way offensively for the Mallards, each with multi-hit games.
In Game 2, it was a different story for the Growlers. Kalamazoo was able to snap a three-game losing streak thanks to an offensive outburst from the bottom of the order and some great pitching from Devin Pellien (Nova Southeastern).
After a scoreless inning in the All-Star Game, Pellien continued his success from the first half with his fifth victory of the season over the Mallars. The Bradenton, Fla. native tossed the Growlers’ third complete game of the season, allowing one run off four hits while striking out six Mallards to pace the Growlers.
David Hensley (San Diego State) sparked the offense from the seventh spot in the order, going 2-for-2 with a double and one RBI. Also contributing from the bottom of the order was Kasey Cooper (Arkansas-Fort Smith), who sent a double to the left-center field gap in the fourth inning to drive in two runs to put the game out of reach for the Growlers.
Kalamazoo (26-24) now heads to Lakeshore to finish off the four-game road trip. Trey Ganns (Northern Kentucky) is slated to start for the Growlers, as they look to gain some ground in the second half standings. First pitch is set for 7:35 p.m. ET.
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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 northwoodsleague.com/kalamazoo-growlers/ or download the new Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store and set the Growlers as your favorite team.