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Northwoods Battle Creek Battle Jacks

Bombers Sweep Growlers, Go 8-0 against Rival

July 31, 2015 - Northwoods League (Northwoods)
Battle Creek Battle Jacks News Release


Battle Creek, Mich.- The Battle Creek Bombers used a three-run first and a five-run sixth to blow out the Kalamazoo Growlers on Friday, to sweep the day-night double-header for the second consecutive day to cap off an 8-0 record in the "I-94" rivalry series in the 2015 Northwoods League Season.

The Bombers led the game from the start and never looked back. In the first, Dan Swain (Siena) led off with a single, and Lin Li (Taiwan) doubled to put runners at second and third with nobody out. Brennon Lund (BYU) followed by ripping a double to the right-center field gap, scoring Swain to put Battle Creek in front 1-0. Tyler Reed (Spring Arbor) singled home Li, and Lund scored after Josh Smith (Grand Valley) grounded into a double play to make it 3-0 Bombers after the first inning.

Battle Creek tacked on another run in the second inning, when Blake Swann (Florida Southern) singled, and eventually scored on a Lund RBI single.

The Growlers made a comeback bid in the third and fourth innings to cut the Bombers lead in half, but it was short lived. Justin Fletcher (Northern Illinois) doubled with one out in the third, and scored on a Max Schuman (Utah) to trim the Bombers lead to 4-1. In the fourth, John Ruiz (Miami) singled and stole second base, and wound up crossing home on an error to bring Kalamazoo within two runs. That's as close as the Growlers came within the Bombers.

Lund hit his first of two doubles on the day in the fifth inning, and Dre Gleason (Austin Peay) knocked him in with an RBI single to make it 5-2 Bombers.

Battle Creek put an end to the Growlers hopes for good in the sixth inning. After the first two hitters were retired in the frame, seven straight Bombers reached to pave the way for a five-run inning and assure a season series sweep of Kalamazoo. Four of the seven hitters walked, with the dagger being a two-run double off the bat of Reed to give the Bombers a 7-2 lead. Smith drew a bases loaded walk, and Cayce Bredlau (Austin Peay) doubled home a pair of Bombers, and Battle Creek led 10-2 after six innings.

Battle Creek scored their final two runs courtesy of a Matt Simmons (Gardner-Webb) sacrifice fly and a Lund double.

Five Bombers had multi-hit games. Lund and Reed both had three RBI, and Smith and Bredlau each had two.

Dalton Greenwalt (1-0) (Urbana University) earned the win for the Bombers, making a spot start due to their depleted pitching staff. He lasted five and two-thirds innings, and allowed six hits and just one earned run. Mitchel Paterson (Spring Arbor) and Donald Hernandez (Riverside City College) made their Bombers pitching debut's, and combined to toss three and one-third scoreless innings.

Cole Schaefer (2-3) (Coastal Carolina) took the loss for the Growlers after surrendering nine runs (five earned) in five and two-thirds innings. Marquise Gill (Eastern Michigan) and Jordan Stading (Houston) are position players were forced into pitching duty because of a worn out Growlers bullpen. They allowed a combined three runs in two and one-third innings.

Battle Creek improves to 25-39 on the season, while Kalamazoo drops to 14-50. The Bombers have a season-high six game win streak, while the Growlers have tied the record for most losses in a Northwoods League season.

After four games in two days, the Bombers will turn to Edgar Sanchez (Prairie View A&M) for a strong, lengthy start, when the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters visit C.O. Brown Stadium for the final home series of the season. First pitch is at 7:05 p.m. EDT.



Northwoods League Stories from July 31, 2015


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