Kalamazoo, Mich. — After a heartbreaking 4-2 defeat in the opening game of their series against the Rochester Honkers, the Growlers' bats came alive last night, as Troy Montgomery's 3-for-4 night highlighted a 15-hit barrage en route to a 9-5 win. The Growlers will look to carry those positive offensive vibes over to their two-game set with the Green Bay Bullfrogs. Series preview is below:
GAME INFORMATION
Who: Kalamazoo Growlers (7-11) vs. Green Bay Bullfrogs (9-9)
When: Saturday at 7:05 p.m. and Sunday at 5:05 p.m.
Where: Homer Stryker Field
Gameday: Follow the pitch-by-pitch action on Pointstreak
Twitter: Follow @kzoogrowlers for updates
PROBABLE STARTERS (Growlers' starters in italics)
SATURDAY: Caleb Baragar (0-2, 5.19 ERA) vs. Mike Ellenbest (1-1, 5.40 ERA)
Baragar (Jackson Community College) was the Growlers' opening day starter, but the lefty hasn't gone longer than 3 2/3 innings in any of his three starts this season. He has struggled with control, walking 11 batters in 8 2/3 innings. His most recent start was fairly encouraging, though, as he held the Kenosha Kingfish to three hits in 3 2/3 innings.
SUNDAY: Nick Wernke (0-2, 5.25 ERA) vs. Blake Quinn (0-1, 10.80 ERA)
Wernke (West Virginia) held Kenosha scoreless through five innings in his last start before he exited with one out in the fifth and wound up getting tagged for five runs. The tall, lanky righty has a complicated delivery that can cause inconsistencies with his control, but he has been effective at reducing hard contact, having allowed eight hits in his last 9 1/3 innings.
Lineups will be on Facebook and Twitter prior to first pitch.
GAME NOTES
- Troy Montgomery (Ohio State) was held out of recent action with a jammed finger, but the speedy center-fielder made a triumphant return to action last night as he turned in perhaps the best single-game performance of any Growler this year. Montgomery got the Growlers' offense rolling with a booming double in the second inning that drove three runs home. Montgomery also had two infield singles — with one coming on a beautiful push bunt — and two outfield assists from center.
- Austin Cangelosi (Indiana) socked his first home run of the season last night, a long two-run shot to left-center that succeeded Dylan Ahern's (Kalamazoo Valley Community College) first hit as a Growler. Cangelosi was 2-for-3 on the night and also had a walk.
- Cody Leichman's prodigious power has yet to fully show up in game action, but the first baseman from Central Michigan has still given the Growlers a productive bat in the middle of the order. Leichman had two hits last night, including an RBI single that he muscled into shallow left.
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
The Growlers hit the road on Monday for two games against the Wisconsin Woodchucks in Wausau, Wis. before returning home for two more against the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters. Click here for the Growlers' upcoming promotions and giveaways.
The Kalamazoo Growlers are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. Playing its 21st 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 115 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (DET) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (CWS), Jordan Zimmermann (WAS), Curtis Granderson (NYM), Allen Craig (STL) and Ben Zobrist (TB). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League YouTube channel. For more information, visit http://www.growlersbaseball.com.