KALAMAZOO, MI – It was a tough day for the Kalamazoo Growlers, who dropped two games to the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters in a home doubleheader, the first 2-1 and the second 12-4.
In the first matchup, the Growlers outhit the Rafters 5-3 but could only manage to push across one run late in the seventh.
In the fourth inning, the Rafters scored Mitch Mallek on a bases loaded walk to Ethan Stringer. In the same inning, Matt Schmidt scored on a sacrifice fly.
Dakota Roberts threw three innings in the relief. He only allowed one hit and two walks surrendering no runs to the Rafters.
In game two, the Growlers gave up 11 runs in the first four innings. Throughout the rest of the game position players Dylan Shockley, George Mendazona, and Niko Kavadas made appearances on the pitching mound. They combined for a total of five innings, only allowing one run.
Zach Daniels, Mat Mervis, and Jonathan Foster all had multi-hit games, leading the way for the Growler offense. Foster started the scoring off in the second inning, after a lead-off double and coming around on a Daniels single. Then in the fourth, Daniels singled to right field to drive in both Mervis and Foster. The final run for the Growlers came from a Sam Hall sacrifice fly to score Niko Kavadas in the sixth.
Tyler Giovinco started and got the win for the Rafters going six innings and allowing all four Growler runs.
The Growlers are now 37-25 on the season looking to clinch a playoff spot. Kalamazoo packs up for a six game road trip starting tomorrow in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin taking on the Dock Spiders.
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The Kalamazoo Growlers are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. Entering its 25th anniversary season, the Northwoods 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, 190 former Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist (CHC) and Brandon Crawford (SFG) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (BOS), Jordan Zimmermann (DET) and Curtis Granderson (TOR). 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.