The Royal Oak Leprechauns rallied from a five-run deficit to defeat the reigning Northwoods League champion Kalamazoo Growlers 16-13 on Tuesday afternoon. 

“There’s been some shootouts here for the first two games,” Leprechaun field manager Chris Faust said after the win. 

In each game of the season-opening series against Kalamazoo, each team has scored at least 10 runs both times. During Opening Day on Monday, the Growlers were able to hold on to a 12-10 victory against the Leprechauns. 

During that one, Royal Oak trailed 7-0 in the first inning. This go-around, it was actually the Leprechauns who jumped out to the significant first lead. The home squad scored first by plating five runs in the bottom of the seventh. That inning was fueled by three walks and three singles. Grand Valley State product Nolan Alvord had a two-run base hit during that inning. 

That lead did not last for long though, as the Growlers immediately responded with an eight-run third inning that included seven hits and 12 total batters. They also scored two more runs in the fourth that made it 10-5 going into the middle of that inning. 

From that point, the Leprechauns were forced to try and inch back into the game, similarly to how Opening Day went. Royal Oak scored one run in the bottom of the fourth, two in the fifth, and one in the seventh. But not much progress was made, as Kalamazoo also plated two runners in that seventh inning and one in the eighth, making the score 13-9 in favor of the Growlers.

Going to the bottom of the eighth, it was going to take a big inning for the Leprechauns to avoid an 0-2 start. They did just that. 

Royal Oak’s big inning began with back-to-back singles from Ryan Tyranski and Jack Dauer. From there, Kalamazoo actually started creating the Leprechauns’ opportunity to win for them. On Dauer’s single, the throw into the infield was overthrown, which allowed Dauer to advance to second and Tyranski to third. Then, the rare catcher’s interference was called with Devan Zirwas at the plate to load the bases. Royal Oak then drew three consecutive walks to suddenly make the score 13-12, Kalamazoo with still no outs in the inning. 

“It’s awesome seeing our guys, our hitters especially, staying in these games,” Faust said. “We’re not down mentally with being down on the scoreboard. It’s awesome to see these guys fighting all the way through for nine innings.”

Even then, it still looked like the Leprechauns might not be able to tie or take the lead, as there were then back-to-back bases-loaded strikeouts. That brought up leadoff hitter Dylan Larkins (Georgetown). 

This time though, he turned on a 1-1 pitch to straightaway centerfield that just got over the head of Growlers’ outfielder Micah Rienstra-Kiracofe. Three runs came across to give Royal Oak a 15-13 lead. 

“I thought it was caught, actually,” Larkins said. “Then I saw it fall and I was like, ‘Yo, that’s crazy!’ and kind of just kept going (to third). I was happy I got the runs in. Typically with bases loaded, I’m not too well. Earlier in the game, I struck out in a bases loaded situation.”

That actually happened just an inning prior during the seventh. 

“I’m happy I got a (chance for) redemption,” he added.

Larkins then scored to make it 16-13 after an infield single by Tyranski, which was his second hit of the eighth inning.

In total, five different Leprechauns had multi-hit games. Tyranski actually reached during all six of his plate appearances, going 4-for-4 with two walks. Aidan Schuck also never got out, going two-for-two with three walks. Tristan Crane also had three hits, Larkins had two, as did Dauer.

After that, Faust turned to Michigan State’s own Aidan Donovan to shut the door on a game that took a total of three hours and 45 minutes. Donovan did just that for his first career save at the college level, needing just four batters and getting all three of his outs on strikes. 

Royal Oak will now start another two-game series, this one against the Traverse City Pit Spitters, who have started 0-2 after their opening series against the Rockford Rivets. The two teams went 6-6 against one another last summer. Both games will be at The Lucky Corner on Wednesday and Thursday, with the first game being a 6:35 p.m. start and the second at 11:05 a.m.