Growlers Offense Leads Way to Second-Half Win
Published on July 1, 2026 under Northwoods League (Northwoods)
Kalamazoo Growlers News Release
ROYAL OAK, Mich. -- The Kalamazoo Growlers (22-15, 1-0) rode a strong offensive start to a 13-9 win over the Royal Oak Leprechauns (19-18, 0-1) Tuesday night.
After a disappointing 20-8 loss on Monday night, the Kalamazoo offense was determined to ensure there was no repeat performance, scoring three first-inning runs on zero hits.
Unfortunately, the pitching staff allowed two runs in the bottom of the inning as Royal Oak got within one in a 3-2 score.
The Growlers outscored the Leprechauns 8-2 through the middle of the sixth, taking an 11-4 advantage, highlighted by Joshua Algarin, who ended the day with four of Kalamazoo's runs.
"They did a nice job with the small ball early in the game to build a lead and then start to settle in," Coach Cody Piechocki said postgame.
From there, Royal Oak found a groove, scoring five over the next two innings, getting within two through seven innings of play.
In the eighth, Kalamazoo found much needed insurance before Gavin Jones slammed the door.
Kalamazoo was held to just seven hits on the night, but went back to the way of the free pass. The Growlers took 16 walks and were hit six times while seven different players recorded an RBI. The state of the game was best summarized by Teddy Tokheim, who went 0-for-2 on the day, but drove in a team-high four runs, with three coming via sacrifice fly.
On the pitching side, five different Growlers made their 2026 debut. Sam Beemer opened the day with three innings, followed by Bobby Crane who pitched two innings. The sixth and seventh were covered by Parker Aten while Hudson Lubbers covered the eighth. Jones went 1-2-3 in the ninth, picking up two strikeouts.
The win marks the first of the second half campaign after the Growlers fell one win short of clinching a first-half spot.
"We got really close last half, we just need to flush it and realize that every game is important," Algarin said.
Kalamazoo and Royal Oak finish off a two-game series Wednesday night, with first pitch delayed to 7:35 p.m. ET due to forecasted heat.
Northwoods League Stories from July 1, 2026
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- The Eaglets Have Fledged and Schedule Changes for July 2nd and July 3rd - Madison Mallards
- Gammel Makes his Northwoods League Debut - Green Bay Rockers
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- Green Bay Issues 14 Walks in Loss to Loggers - Green Bay Rockers
- Trains Storm Back: Express Rally from 7-1 Deficit to Stun Bucks 9-7 - Eau Claire Express
- Rox Dominate with 16-0 Win over Badlands - St. Cloud Rox
- Growlers Offense Leads Way to Second-Half Win - Kalamazoo Growlers
- Rivets Kick off Second Half of Season with High-Scoring Win - Rockford Rivets
- Big Sticks Lose First Game of the Second Half to St. Cloud - Badlands Big Sticks
- Buettenback's Walk-Off Completes Stingers Miraculous Comeback - Willmar Stingers
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