A rare bases-clearing single by Oliver Service helped cap a 8-5 comeback victory against Kalamazoo on Saturday night.
“Great team win today,” Service said. “Everyone was kind of pulling off each other’s energy.”
The Texas Longhorn delivered in the most important plate appearance of the ball game, lining a base hit past a diving Gabe Springer’s glove and down the left field line.
“I ended up slipping at first,” Service said. “That was kind of funny. I would’ve had a double, but I got the runs in, which is all that really matters at the end of the day.”
Royal Oak’s prospects of a victory had looked bleak through the first six innings. The Growlers held a 5-2 lead with Leprechaun starter Griffin Kilander forced out after just two innings and NWL All-Star Eamon Horwedel going strong for the road squad.
Kalamazoo had a chance to blow the game open after loading the bases with no outs in the top of the sixth. Nolan Coil forced an odd 4-2-3 double play before TJ McAlister Jr. entered and got the third out.
“I definitely felt like that that was their moment to step on our throats and put this thing out of reach,” said Leprechauns head coach Jonathan Vance.
The bottom of the seventh is where Royal Oak pounced. Horwedel, closing in on a record-breaking 21st career win, handed his first free pass of the day by hitting Tony Hatzigeorgiou with a pitch. Two runs had come in with just one out by the time Horwedel was pulled after RBI doubles by Alex Cheeseman and Ryan Tyranski.
Aaron Robertson was tasked with keeping Kalamazoo’s lead. The Growlers intentionally walked Parker Picot to load the bases with one out and a 5-4 lead.
Michael Lareau struck out for the second out, which brought up Service. He ambushed the first pitch he saw, plating three runs and flipping a 5-4 deficit to a 7-5 lead.
Tyranski earned his third RBI of the night with a single in the eighth to make it 8-5. He only had three RBIs in his first 17 games.
Vance, who also serves as the pitching coach at Northwood University, turned to his fellow Timberwolf to close out one more game in the final two innings: Jake Jekielek.
“It was awesome to see [Jekielek] go out there and dominate again,” Vance said.
Royal Oak’s closer got his seventh save on the year and handed in two scoreless innings to seal the game. Jekielek ends his summer with an eye-popping 0.73 ERA with no runs allowed and only three hits allowed in his final 16.1 innings.
“[Vance] created me,” Jekielek said. “I don’t think I was anything until he got [to Northwood]. He gave me the confidence and stuff to be who I am and where I’m going today.”
Saturday’s victory propels Royal Oak to 26-22 overall and 8-5 in the second half. The Leprechauns have now bested Kalamazoo three straight times to even up the season series at four apiece.
“We’re a hard-nosed, gritty team,” Service said.
Royal Oak now turns its attention to the Battle Creek Battle Jacks for another two-game set. The first game will be held at Memorial Park on Sunday before game two in Battle Creek. Both games are set to start at 6:35 p.m.
