GREEN BAY, WI – Undone by Green Bay’s small ball approach to hitting, the Kalamazoo Growlers fell 8-3 to the Bullfrogs on Saturday night at Joannes Stadium, dropping to 2-2 on their six-game road trip.

The Bullfrogs (5-6) broke it open with four runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. Tyler McDowell (Washington State) led off with a single, followed by a double by Connor Ross (Fort Hayes State). McDowell scored on a passed ball, then after a groundout, Jack Strunc (Washington State) laid down a squeeze bunt to plate Ross, but an overthrow by Kalamazoo starter Sean Isaac (Vanguard) to first base put Strunc on third. Caleb Ratzman (Illinois State) brought home Strunc with a single, then Matthew De La Rosa (Lenior-Rhyne) made it a four-spot with a double down the left field line, giving the Bullfrogs a 6-2 lead.

The Growlers (3-9) got one back in the fifth after Ryan Slaughter (KVCC) singled home Nick Yarnall (Northern Illinois) after Yarnall’s double. That would be Kalamazoo’s last visit to the scoreboard, however, as the Green Bay relief pitching was too much to overcome. The Bullfrogs capped the scoring in the eighth as De La Rosa launched a two-run home run to the short porch in right field.

Jack Silbermann (Eckerd, 1-0) picked up the win with 2.1 innings in relief of Ryan Radue (UConn), who only lasted 2.2 innings after giving up two runs (one earned) on two hits and five walks. Isaac (0-1) took the loss with four innings of six-run (five earned), five-hit ball. Alex Kuisel (Academy of Art) kept the Growlers in it with three scoreless innings of relief, while Aaron Tadian (Kent State) pitched the eighth.

Kalamazoo opened the scoring with a gift run in the top of the first. Kory Young (Michigan State) was hit by a Radue pitch, advanced twice on Radue errors, and scored on a wild pitch. The Bullfrogs responded in the bottom of the second with a Ross RBI groundout and a Desi Ammons (Belmont) squeeze bunt.

Bryce Adams (Delgado College/LSU) and Slaughter drew back-to-back two-out walks in the third, then John Soteropulos (California) tied the game at 2-2 with a single to left. The hit extends Soteropulos’s hitting streak to six games; he is hitting .333 (7-for-21) with two doubles and two RBIs over that span.

Charles Leblanc (Pittsburgh) left the game in the second inning after sliding awkwardly while stealing second base. Justin Fletcher (Northern Illinois) also left in the middle of the seventh with injury.

Kalamazoo now heads to the final leg of the trip for a Sunday showdown with the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters. First pitch from Witter Field is set for 6:05 p.m. EDT.

The Northwoods League is the proven leader in the development of elite college baseball players. The 21-year old summer collegiate 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, 120 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 (WAS), Curtis Granderson (NYM), Lucas Duda (NYM) and Ben Zobrist (OAK). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League YouTube channel. For more information, visit http://www.northwoodsleague.com.