KALAMAZOO, Mi. – What started off as a pitcher’s duel quickly fell apart in the eighth inning and ended with the Kalamazoo Growlers dropping game two to the Green Bay Bullfrogs 8 – 2.
Jack Nelson started off the night on the mound and went 6 innings not allowing any runs on eight hits. Both teams went scoreless until the fourth inning when the Growlers got on the board first.
George Mendazona started off the inning with a walk and he would eventually be the first run of the night. Mendazona scored after Cayman Richardson walked and an Ivan Johnson single to center field.
The game was then 1 – 0 in favor of the Growlers until the bottom of the seventh inning when the Growlers scored another run. Johnson lead off the inning with a single to right field, then advanced to second on Sam Faith’s putout. Kawambee Moss picked up the RBI in this inning on a single to the shortstop.
Green Bay opened up their scoring in the top of the eighth and did not let up scoring seven runs in that inning. Andre Antone started the inning for the Bullfrogs drawing a walk off of Luke Boyd. Blake Nelson then continued the inning with a single to center field. Keaton Smith then singled to Boyd and made it the whole way around to third base on errors and tying the game.
Joe Boyle was then brought in to relieve Boyd, but Green Bay continued to score runs. Brian Davis singled to right field scoring Smith to take the lead. Esteban Cardoza-Oquendo reached first on an error from Boyle and Davis scored on the play. Preston Pavlica launched a home run over the left field Party Zone to three more runs.
Green Bay scored one more insurance run in the top of the ninth to seal the deal and split the series with Kalamazoo. Cooper Morrison scored the final run on a sacrifice fly to center field. Jason Sullivan was brought in to pitch to finish the game. The Growlers couldn’t make the comeback in the bottom of the ninth and fell to the Bullfrogs 8 – 2.
The Growlers are on the road the next two days against the Madison Mallards and will return to Kalamazoo to play the Wisconsin Woodchucks on Monday, July 30th.
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The Kalamazoo Growlers are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. Entering its 25th anniversary season, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 20 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, 190 former Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist (CHC) and Brandon Crawford (SFG) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (BOS), Jordan Zimmermann (DET) and Curtis Granderson (TOR). 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 or on Google Play and set the Growlers as your favorite team.