Kalamazoo, Mich. – In another back-and-forth game against the Growlers 131 Rival in Traverse City, Kalamazoo pulled through late to beat the Pit Spitters 8-5.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

– In what has been uncharacteristic of these two pitching staffs this season, both starters in game three struggled early. Josh Lanham, in his first start with the Pit Spitters in over a month after a stint in the Cape Cod League struggled to find command in the first inning. After a four pitch walk and a hit batter, Will Furniss and Banks Tolley roped back to back RBI doubles into the corners to give the Growlers an early 3-0 lead.

–  The Pit Spitters answered with a pair up against Jerad Berkenpas after an RBI double from Colin Summerhill and single from Evan Orzech. Traverse City would tie up the game in the third, scoring on a passed ball.

– K-Zoo and Traverse City would trade runs in each of the fourth and fifth, before the Growlers captured the lead for the rest of the way on the sixth. In what looked to be a quick 1-2-3 inning after a pair of groundouts quickly changed with Anthony Stephan. Extending his now 17-game on-base streak, Stephan shot a hustle double into left center field forcing a pitching change. On the first pitch from Quinn Berglin, Stephan stole third and forced an errant throw into right to come home as the go-ahead run. A walk and two singles later, K-Zoo had a two-run lead.

– The Growlers would score another in the eighth on a passed ball before Aaron Robertson would come in for a four-out save. In his third save of the season and sixth opportunity for a decision, Robertson retired all four batters he faced. The lefty from Central Washington has now gone 14.2 straight innings without giving up an earned run and the lone runner he has given up across that time was a placement runner in extras.