Growlers Walk-Off Chinooks, Move to 3-1
May 29, 2025 - Northwoods League (Northwoods)
Kalamazoo Growlers News Release
KALAMAZOO, Mich. - The Kalamazoo Growlers walked-off the Lakeshore Chinooks in 10 innings, winning an 11-10 game.
Kalamazoo started the game off hot, scoring in the bottom of the first, and chasing Lakeshore's Koehn Thomas quickly. A scoreless second and third carried into a seven-run fourth inning, headlined by a Daniel Williams bases-clearing double. Kalamazoo would plate two in the sixth inning off defensive miscues from Chinook third baseman Jed Garcia. After sustaining a 10-0 deficit, Lakeshore began to crawl back. Collin Senior broke up a no-hit bid in the seventh inning, before Drew Reynolds would enter the game with the bases loaded, and head to the dugout with four RBIs.
The scoring would stop, with the score 10-4 in favor of Kalamazoo, until the top of the ninth, when Lakeshore would continue to move the line, picking up six runs on four walks, two hit batsmen, and two singles, with the tying blow a Tyler Papenbrock wild pitch, scoring Tyler Preece and tying the game at 10-10. Lakeshore reliever Danny Smith would exit the game with one out in the ninth and runners on first and second. Due to injuries, fatigue, and league rules, Lakeshore would be without any relievers, forcing reserve second baseman Ian Choi to enter the game on the mound. The Chinooks second baseman would retire the next two Growlers batters on flyouts.
In the tenth inning, Papenbrock would inherit the placed runner on second, forcing a groundout before walking Reynolds, and then back-to-back flyouts would give the Growlers the bat in the 10th. A Brodey Acres sacrifice bunt would move Williams to third, before Evan Rodriguez was hit and Trevor Johnson intentionally walked to load the bases. Facing the second baseman on the mound, Mike Sprockett would send a single into the outfield, scoring Williams from third and winning the game 11-10.
The game was filled with free passes, as Growler and Chinook batters combined for 28 walks and four hit batters, resulting in 32 combined times awarded first base. Kalamazoo's starter Wilson Kruse pitched 4.1 innings, allowing no hits or runs, while walking seven and striking out four. The Growler's Tyler Papenbrock earned the win, gathering the final five outs without allowing a hit or run and striking out two. Lakeshore's Danny Smith threw 2.2 innings, allowing just two hits and a 2-4 K-BB ratio in relief, while Ian Choi earned the loss.
Lakeshore heads home for the first time this season to face the Fond Du Lac Dock Spiders tomorrow, while Kalamazoo is back in action Friday at 7:05 p.m. as they travel to the Traverse City Pit Spitters for the start of a four game, split home-and-home set. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
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