Kalamazoo, Mich. – In front of a sellout crowd of over 4,500 fans, the Kalamazoo Growlers (40-29, 22-12) went one step further in its quest for its third straight postseason birth, taking down the Royal Oak Leprechauns (34-36, 16-19) by a final score of 7-2.

Kalamazoo’s 40th win marks just the third time in franchise history the Growlers have won 40 or more games in a regular season and second in as many years. With the win and Traverse City’s 15-1 loss to Rockford, the Growlers’ magic number is down to just one.

To clinch the second-half title, all the Growlers will need is a win in its final three games or a Traverse City loss in its final two.

For the 13th time in the last 16 games, Kalamazoo struck first. Gabe Springer continued his now 24-game on-base streak driving in Brodey Acres on an RBI single in the first before Lawson Knight scored on an RBI fielder’s choice by Trey Wells.

The very next inning, Knight would bring home another pair of runs on an RBI double down the right-field line. Down 4-0, Royal Oak would answer in the third off of a Lucas Rick two-run home run to left.

Kalamazoo immediately answered in the bottom of the frame. The Growlers’ bats exploded for a pair of home runs off the bat of Korbin Griffin and Gabe Springer. Springer smashed his eighth of the season, matching his 2023 output before Griffin smacked his second in as many days and third in the last week.

While not his best outing, Growlers starter Ryan Kraft fought through 5.2 innings of work, giving up two runs, one earned, and striking out eight. In the outing, Kraft passed Growlers teammate Liam O’Brien for the team and Northwoods League lead in strikeouts and took over as the Growlers’ single-season strikeout record holder.

After loading the bases and getting back-to-back strikeouts, Kraft was relieved in the sixth after 102 pitches. Donny Tober helped then strand the bases loaded, getting a fielder’s choice to end the inning.

Tober stranded a pair in both the seventh and the eighth, striking out three before Carson Byers locked it down in the ninth sitting down the Leprechauns in order.

The Growlers head on the road for a doubleheader tomorrow against the Kokomo Jackrabbits. In a pair of seven-inning games, game one will begin at 5:05 p.m. ET with the second game beginning a half an hour after the end of game one.