KALAMAZOO, MI –5,579 fans packed into the comfy confines of Homer Stryker field for Red, White and Boom night and watched their Kalamazoo Growlers repeat the same situation as the day before, on July 3rd, splitting the double header with Lakeshore.

Coming off a game where offense was nonexistent for both teams, Lakeshore counteracted that with scoring 16 runs in a game two innings shorter than the usual nine innings.

 

The most impressive aspect of the offensive explosion for the Chinooks (2-4, 19-19) is that eight, yes eight, of the runs scored came off the bat of one player.

 

Lucas Raley (Lake Erie) finished the first game with an impressive four for five. Even more impressive, all those four hits were home runs. A solo shot in the first, another solo homer  in the third, three run home run in the fifth and a three run home run in the sixth.

Raley’s four home runs set a record for the most hit in a single game in Northwoods League History.

The only offense for the Growlers (2-4, 10-29)  came in the second inning. After the first two batters hit back-to-back singles, John Soteropulos hit a third straight single which scored Alex Gosser (Arkansas) from third. The second run came two batters later when another single, this time from Kory Brown (BGSU) allowed Marquise Gill (Eastern Michigan) to score. Kalamazoo would’ve been able to tack on another run, as Soteropulos was rounding third, but he was tagged out at the plate.

Losing the first game 16-2 did not deflate the efforts of the Growlers for the second game, though.

No, the offense for Kalamazoo did not produce 16 runs to match Lakeshore’s in the previous game. The Growlers did, though, produce enough offense to get a win.

Cole Schaefer (Coastal Carolina) started the game for Kalamazoo. Schaefer, who even though had to pitch out of multiple jams throughout his 4.2 inning stint, only allowed one run. That one run being a solo home run to Greg Deichmann (LSU)in the fourth inning.

Other than the one run, Schaefer walked four and struck out one.

Nick Wernke got the save for Kalamazoo, coming in for relief in the sixth. Wernke did what a good closer does and kept a slim lead for his team, striking out three and only allowing one hit during his five out save.

Kalamazoo’s runs came early, again, in the bottom of the second. A Nick Yarnall (Pitt) single, put the first runner on base in that inning. The next batter, Max Schuman (Utah) hit into a fielder’s choice which put Yarnall at second. The following two batters, Marquise Gill (Eastern Michigan) and Angelo Armenta (USC) walked, which loaded the bases. Next up, Corey Dempster (USC) hit an RBI single to drive in Yarnall. Kory Brown (BGSU) walked next to drive in the final run of the inning, and the game for the Growlers.

2-1 the final score. The Growlers were able to watch the post-game Fourth of July fireworks feeling good about their efforts.

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.