Growlers Five-Run Comeback Comes up Short, Falls on Walk-Off
July 4, 2024 - Northwoods League (Northwoods)
Kalamazoo Growlers News Release
Kalamazoo, Mich. - In the first game of the second half of the season, the Kalamazoo Growlers (18-18, 0-1), fell short to the Battle Creek Battle Jacks (20-17, 1-0) losing 7-6.
After a walk-off win at home the previous night, Wednesday night's matchup worked eerily similar to the night before, but the roles reversed.
K-Zoo struck first in the opening inning with a solo shot by Sam Harris. His second home run in as many starts, Harris rifled a fastball over the right field wall.
While the Growlers offensively left men on in each of the second through the fifth, Battle Creek stormed back. In the bottom of the first, Cayden Wotpika tied up the game on an RBI single that ricocheted off of Growlers starter Tanner Ware and into right field, scoring Alex Fernandes.
Battle Creek would then take advantage of the Growlers' mistakes in the next two innings. With a runner at second and two outs, Fernandes beat out an infield single but Battle Creek's Logan Keller went wide of the third base bag. In an attempt to cut him down, Gabe Springer threw the ball away down the left field line giving the Creek the lead.
Two errors in the third would lead to Ben Fierenzi soring on a pickle play and put the Jacks up a pair.
Fierenzi would later chase Ware out of the ball game after an RBI triple to right in the fifth before an Aidan Arbogast RBI single officially ended Ware's day.
Down four, the Growlers finally responded in the seventh. After a pair of leadoff walks, Gabe Springer delivered with a two-RBI single to right. Three batters later, Jeremy Comer launched a triple off the wall in right field to make it a one-run game.
Ben Fierenzi would get his name called once again in the seventh. After a double by Mason Hamlin and a sac fly, Fierenzi set down a squeeze bunt to score Hamlin and push it back to a two-run game.
Down to its final three outs, the Growlers opened up with the ninth with a hit-by-pitch and a walk. After a Sam Harris fly out to right field and Jeremy Comer strikeout, Brock Leitgeb dug in for a pinch-hit spot.
Down to his final strike, Leitgeb smashed a 1-2 pitch to the opposite field splitting the gap in right-center and tying up the game on an RBI triple.
While emotions ran high, they would quickly change in the bottom of the inning. Aaron Robertson, the Growlers' closer in 2023, made his 2024 debut. A 2-2 hit-by-pitch put on Mason Hamlin led to Cayden Wotpika stepping up.
On a nine-pitch battle, Wotpika found the barrel into left-center field scoring Mason Hamlin from first and walking it off.
The Growlers and Battle Jacks once again meet up today for a Fourth of July bash at Homer Stryker Field. First pitch is set for 6:35 p.m.
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