KALAMAZOO, MI – The final game before the All-Star break for the Kalamazoo Growlers showcased dominant starting pitching from Wisconsin Woodchuck starter Devin Skapura (Texas A&M Corpus Christi.
Skapura went the distance, completing a complete game shutout over Kalamazoo, 6-0.
The Woodchuck (8-9, 20-32) starter, who surprisingly is not an All-Star, gave up only three hits to the Growlers and no walks over his nine innings. Upon all that, Skapura struck out nine and lowered his season earned run average to a Greinke-esque 1.60.
This shutout extends Skapura’s scoreless innings streak to 20.1.
Errors, again, shot the Growlers in the foot as five of the six Woodchuck runs were unearned.
The inning that sealed the fate of the game came in the sixth.
After Mason Fishback (Riverside City College) led off with a single, Taylor Kohlwey (UW-La Crosse) laid down a bunt. A error by third baseman Dylan Busby (Florida State) allowed both runners to be safe. Another error, on another bunt, created a bases loaded no-out situation.
Kalamazoo (6-15, 14-40) caught a break on the batter, though, as a grounder turned into a double play with the runners at home and first being thrown out.
A walk to the next batter, again, loaded the bases.
Ty Black (Ohio), the next batter, hit a single with plated two runs. Following Black was Jared Oliva (Arizona), who hit a single scoring another run. The fourth, and final, run came off of a balk from reliever Josh Alberius (Arkansas).
Kalamazoo starting pitcher, Andrew Sheppard (Jackson College) pitched well, going 5 innings walking two and striking out five.
The Growlers now enter the All-Star break and send their lone representative, Shane Bryant (Purdue), to Wisconsin Rapids where the games are being held.
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.