The Kalamazoo Growlers used runs in four of the first five innings to take a 6-3 victory over the Leprechauns on Sunday night.
“We gave ourselves a chance to win,” Royal Oak head coach Jonathan Vance said. “We just gotta swing a little bit better.”
All three of Royal Oak’s runs came in the fourth and fifth innings. Brayden Dowd hit in Oliver Service on a fielder’s choice play and JR Bedford brought in a second run in the fourth on a sacrifice fly.
Parker Picot hit his second homer in as many games over the cavernous left field fence with a solo shot in the fifth.
“I thought we hit a couple balls hard that didn’t fall our way,” Vance said. “We just weren’t able to manipulate counts in our favor tonight.”
Five of Kalamazoo’s runs came with Andrew Abler on the mound, four being earned. Abler ended his day after four innings after giving six hits, walking two, and hitting two batters.
Kyle Dixon ended up getting the final five frames in relief. He made himself work around five walks and three hit batsmen, but ended up only allowing one run and one hit with six strikeouts.
“I thought Kyle Dixon threw the ball extremely well,” Vance said. “Pitched his way out of some damage that he put himself into, but one hit in five innings. A lot of zeros, too.”
It was certainly the most impressive outing for Dixon since he threw six relief innings without an earned run against Lakeshore on May 29. He had given up eight earned runs in two innings against Kalamazoo on July 1.
On the Kalamazoo side, it saw some positive history being made against Royal Oak for a second consecutive matchup at Memorial Park. The team scored a Growler-record 25 runs on July 1, and starter Eamon Horwedel tied an NWL record with a 20th career victory on the mound on Sunday.
Horwedel had also entered the game with an active streak of 20 consecutive scoreless innings. The streak reached 23 before Royal Oak scored in the fourth.
Once Horwedel left the game following six innings of work, the Growler bullpen certainly stepped up.
Three different pitchers got the ball in the final three innings. Royal Oak was set down in order in each of the final frames. Aaron Robertson received his first save of the season.
Royal Oak now falls to 22-19 on the season and 4-2 in the second half, with the Growlers going to 21-19 and 3-2.
Kalamazoo will now play host to the Leprechauns on Monday and Tuesday. That begins a six-game, five-day road trip for Royal Oak.
“It’s going to be a grind, for sure,” Vance said. “But we’re ready for it.”
The next game held at Memorial Park will not be until July 13, also against Kalamazoo.
