Northwoods Kalamazoo Growlers

Growlers Fall Despite Smoyer's Brilliant Effort

Published on July 26, 2014 under Northwoods League (Northwoods)
Kalamazoo Growlers News Release


Kalamazoo, Mich. - Ryan Smoyer walked back to the dugout, sat next to teammate Jared Kujawa, and laughed.

It was all he could do after what had happened on the field. Through the first seven innings, Smoyer (Notre Dame) was masterful. He allowed one hit to the Kenosha Kingfish and blew through the order with such haste that the sun was still up by the time the eighth inning rolled around. It was the same modus operandi for Smoyer - strikes with four pitches, all coming in quick succession, low in the zone - but it worked better than ever.

Then it all fell apart, to the tune of a four-run eighth inning by the Kingfish. The Growlers couldn't muster a sufficient response, and they took a 4-2 loss on Saturday night.

Smoyer entered the eighth with a 1-0 lead. Jesse Puscheck (Canisius) had given Kalamazoo that advantage by singling Justin Fletcher (Northern Illinois) home with two outs in the first inning, but that was all the Growlers got off Kenosha starter Rex Morrow (Madison College). The right-hander worked with similar efficiency and effectiveness to Smoyer. Morrow allowed eight hits, but they were all singles. He walked one.

Steven Sensley (LSU-Eunice) grounded the first pitch to second to start the eighth. Smoyer then walked C.J. Saylor (San Diego State) and surrendered a soft single to Alex Borglin (Central Michigan) that moved Saylor to third after he had advanced to second due to an errant pickoff throw.

Taylor Douglas (Tennessee-Martin) then connected for perhaps the hardest-hit ball all night off Smoyer. He scalded a liner that hit Smoyer in the chest, but the right-hander recovered and gathered in time to throw for an out. Saylor froze just past third base.

But Smoyer turned and threw to second, and though the throw was on time, it was wide of the shortstop and into went into center field. The tying run scored.

Borglin scored on a sacrifice fly to give the Kingfish the lead, and they added two more runs on RBI singles. That made the score 4-1, and while the errors were of Smoyer's own doing, none of the runs went down as earned. The Growlers pushed a run across in the bottom of the eighth, but they went quietly in the ninth.

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Northwoods League Stories from July 26, 2014


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