Big sixth inning, strong pitching propel Growlers to victory
June 14, 2014 - Northwoods League (Northwoods)
Kalamazoo Growlers News Release
The Kalamazoo Growlers beat the Green Bay Bullfrogs 6-3 on Friday at Homer Stryker Field with help from a four-run sixth inning and a pitching performance that held the Bullfrogs to just five hits.
The Growlers struck first when John Rubino (Eastern Michigan) tripled to right-center field to lead off the game and scored on a sacrifice fly from Troy Montgomery (Ohio State).
Green Bay took a 2-1 lead in the third inning without recording a hit. Growlers starter Caleb Baragar (Jackson Community College) walked a batter and hit another. After both advanced on a passed ball, the first scored on a wild pitch and the second came home during a rundown, scoring before the final out was recorded. The Bullfrogs expanded the lead to 6-3 with a run off Chris Cervantes (Eastern Kentucky) in the sixth inning.
Kalamazoo responded big in the same frame, though. Nick Yarnall (Pittsburgh) and Cody Leichman (Central Michigan) reached to start the inning and advanced on a balk. Jared Kujawa (Western Michigan) drove one run home on a single up the middle. Ryan Spaulding (Ball State) drove Leichman in with a single to left, and Kujawa scored after Ryan Bull (Notre Dame) laid down a bunt and Bullfrogs pitcher Mike Ellenbest (Saginaw Valley State) made a throwing error trying to go to first. The Growlers got one more run in the inning from an RBI groundout from Austin Cangelosi (Indiana).
The Growlers expanded their lead to 6-3 when John Rubino (Eastern Michigan) singled home a run in the eighth. Shane Bryant (Purdue) closed out the game for his second save in two days.
Caleb Baragar (Jackson Community College) started the game on the mound for the Growlers, and though he walked three batters and hit one, he didn't allow a hit in three innings. Cervantes, Matt Farrington (Illinois Central College) and Bryant combined to hold the Bullfrogs to five hits in six innings.
Kalamazoo finishes its two game series against the Bullfrogs on Sunday at a scheduled 5:05 start time. Nick Wernke (West Virginia) is set to get the start for the Growlers.
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