June 27, 2019

Contact: Bennett Wise, wisebm@miamioh.edu 

KZoo with 13 hits but only able to score three in the loss

 

The Kalamazoo Growlers fell to the Rockford Rivets 6-3 in the first home game at Homer Stryker Field since June 19. 

Kalamazoo was forced to postpone an entire series versus the Kokomo Jackrabbits after the stadium flooded twice in as many weeks.

Neither side was able to come across the dish until the third inning when Matt Higgins (Bellarmine) drove in Nolan Snyder (Quincy) on an RBI single.

The Growlers were able to tie it up in the home half, as Gabe Rivera (Miami (FL)) reached on a dropped ball in center field to score Shea Kramer (Utah).

The floodgates opened for Rockford in the fourth as the Rivets scored five runs on four hits. Snyder had a two RBI single that was followed by a two RBI double from Tom Josten (UCF). 

Adam Wheaton (Trine) shut down the Rivets after that, throwing a perfect five innings in relief, with five strikeouts.

Kalamazoo struck again in the eighth, as Drew Blakely (UVA) and Miko Rodriguez (Texas A&M) were both hit by pitches. The two scored on back-to-back RBI singles from Zach Gelof (UVA) and Jake Topolski (Duke).

Kasey Ford (1-1, Kansas State) earned the win for Rockford, while Growler’s starter Michael Paredes (0-2, SDSU) was credited with the loss. Dugan Darnell (Adrian) registered his first save as a Rivet in his first appearance. 

The Growlers try to fight back and even the series tomorrow at 7:05 p.m. from Homer Stryker Field.

 

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