WAUSAU, WI – It was a wild one in game one of two between the Kalamazoo Growlers and the hometown Wisconsin Woodchucks. Some early offense in the visitor’s half of the first inning set the tone early for Kalamazoo. Credit second baseman, Jason Sullivan (Central Michigan), with a two RBI double to plate both Matt Koehler (Western Carolina) and Connor Hollis (Houston). Following a bases loaded walk to first baseman, Drew Huff (Middle Tennessee State), the third run of the inning would cross the plate in Jack Duffy (Missouri State). The Growlers weren’t done just yet. Jason Sullivan would eventually come around to score after a 6-4-3 double play off the bat of Michael Diffley (San Diego State), 4-0 Kalamazoo after one.

The bats would remain hot for the good guys in the top of the second. Matt Koehler with a no-doubt two-run bomb out to right-center field would bring home two more for Kalamazoo. Jeff Riedel (Ball State) kept the ball rolling with nobody out on a double to centerfield, Hollis and Duffy would score to make it 8-0. After a Huff fielder’s choice, Jason Sullivan came home to post a five spot in the top of inning number two for the Growlers.

Don’t count out the Woodchucks, however. Wisconsin would post a four spot in the bottom of the second inning, one of which would come off a Yeager Taylor (UC Riverside) bomb out to right field, 9-4 after two innings of play.

The hometown guys would plate one run in innings three through six, making things interesting heading into the top of the seventh. A Stevie Mangrum (Virginia Tech) moonshot brought the Woodchucks within one, 9-8.

The Growlers would bring home the first run since inning number two in the top of the seventh. After a Michael Diffley RBI triple, Kalamazoo wouldn’t look back, 10-8.

Growler of the game, Beau Ridgeway (Texas), struck out 4 in 1.1 innings pitched, closing the doors for Kalamazoo in game one of the series.

Game two will be played tomorrow, same place, same time, 6:35 CT, 7:35 ET.

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The Kalamazoo Growlers are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. The 23-year-old summer collegiate 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, more than 160 former Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including two-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS), two-time World Series Champion Ben Zobrist (CHC) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (BOS), Jordan Zimmermann (DET), Curtis Granderson (NYM) and Lucas Duda (NYM).  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.