KALAMAZOO, MI –Add a loss, add a win to the Kalamazoo Growlers’ (2-2, 10-26) record. At the end of the first doubleheader with Lakeshore (1-3, 18-18) at Homer Stryker Field, the Growlers lost the first seven inning game, 5-1, and brought the second game to a full nine innings winning 1-0 off a Marquise Gill (Eastern Michigan) walk-off single.
Kalamazoo found itself up early in the first game, 1-0, in the third when a walked Kory Brown (BGSU) stole second, and on an errant throw, was able to steal two bags and end up at third. The next batter, Corey Dempster (USC), hit a sacrifice fly to score Brown.
The Chinooks would not let the Growlers get comfortable, though, as the next inning Kalamazoo found itself tied, 1-1, with the bases loaded and one out. The next batter, Christian Hicks (Florida), hit a ball the first baseman Bryce Adams (LSU) who decided to throw home for the force. Once the ball reached the hands of catcher Max Schuman (Utah), Schuman noticed the runner rounding third, Jack Benninghoff (Arkansas), took a wide turn and threw to third to have Benninghoff caught in a pickle. When third baseman, John Soteropulos (Cal) throw the ball back to Schuman, Schuman’s attempted forced Benninghoff out of the basepath,which would’ve been the second out. Benninghoff still crossed the plate and the umpires called him safe which made the game 2-1.
That call was greeted with 1,825 boos from the home crowd as that would be third out would’ve saved the Chinooks from getting a total of five runs in that inning, which proved to be the ending difference.
The second game of the doubleheader saw little offense as the pitching for both sides, starting and bullpen, extended the shortened seven-inning to a regular nine innings.
Growler ace, Shane Bryant (Purdue), pitched seven shutout innings and only allowed a single hit. Bryant upped his amount of strikeouts in this game, totaling seven by the time he left the mound for good.
The starter for Lakeshore, John Schreiber (Kent State), went five innings, striking out three and giving up two hits.
Relievers for both sides, especially Kalamazoo, helped continue the shutout baseball.
Derek Schneider (Western Michigan), a starter usually, came in for the eighth trying to keep Bryant’s gem alive. Schneider did just that, and got the win. In his two innings of work, Schneider did not allow a single baserunner while striking out five of the six batters he faced.
“Coming in to an extra inning game there is definitely more adrenaline,” Schneider said. “So I was trying to ride that.
“I was trying to treat it like a start.”
In the bottom of the ninth, the Growlers were not able to get a baserunner until a two-out walk to Nick Yarnall (Pitt). Newcomer Alex Gosser (Arkansas), the next batter, slapped a single which put Yarnall at third base. Speedster Marquise Gill was next up, and he hit a slow roller to the second baseman who couldn’t get a clean fielding of the ball and drove home the winning run.
The Lakeshore Chinooks and the Kalamazoo Growlers will have to get their rest as tomorrow, July 4th, includes another doubleheader starting at 5:05 p.m. with a spectacular post-game firework show following the second game.
The Northwoods League is the proven leader in the development of elite college baseball players. The 21-year old summer collegiate 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, 120 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 (WAS), Curtis Granderson (NYM), Lucas Duda (NYM) and Ben Zobrist (OAK). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League YouTube channel. For more information, visit http://www.northwoodsleague.com.