Kenosha, WIS – The Kalamazoo Growlers entered Monday night’s contest with the Kenosha Kingfish 0-8 all time at Simmons Field. The time seemed right to change the course, as the Growlers had come into the first game of their four game road trip with some momentum after two consecutive wins and had climbed to within a game and a half atop the Northwoods League South. Instead, the Kenosha Kingfish had other plans, cruising en route to a 7-1 victory and their fourth straight win.
Cole Erickson (Wisconsin-Stevens Point) was fantastic for the Kingfish (13-15) throwing seven shutout innings, and scattering just three hits while striking out eight and walking just one to pick up his second win of the season. At one point between the second and fourth innings, Erickson retired eight straight Growlers batters, and he retired 11 of the first twelve Growlers he faced.
Kevin Marnon (Ball State) got the starting nod for the Growlers (16-13), and went six innings, but he was hit hard to the tune of ten total hits and six runs. The Kingfish got started with a three-run second inning, and never looked back, adding a single run in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings respectively. In the fifth, the run came via a solo homerun from Marty Bechina, which was the second home run given up by Marnon this season. The Growlers put a small rally together in the 8th inning, with Connor Kopach (Southern Illinois) singling to begin the frame, before being driven in by Camden Duzenack (Dallas Baptist) for the Growlers first run. That was all the Growlers would get, however, and the Kingfish would add another run in the 9th before shutting the door on the Growlers.
With the loss, the Growlers are now three games behind the first place Wisconsin Rapids Rafters in the Northwoods League South. The Growlers are now 0-9 all time at Simmons Field against the Kingfish. Matt Lloyd (Iowa Western) pinch hit in the 7th inning for the Growlers and collected two doubles for his second multi-hit game this season. Four different Kingfish had multi-hit games tonight, as Kenosha beat the Growlers for the first time this season.
The Growlers will try to bounce back tomorrow night with Grant Wolfram (Central Michigan) on the mound. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 CDT from Simmons Field.
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The Kalamazoo Growlers are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. Playing its 23rd season of summer collegiate baseball, the Northwoods 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, more than 150 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 (DET), Curtis Granderson (NYM), Lucas Duda (NYM) and Ben Zobrist (CHC). 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 and set the Growlers as your favorite team.