Growlers Walk-off Night Cap of Doubleheader
July 11, 2024 - Northwoods League (Northwoods)
Kalamazoo Growlers News Release
Kalamazoo, Mich. - On Wednesday night, the Kalamazoo Growlers (22-21, 4-4) took the nightcap of its doubleheader 7-6 over the Lakeshore Chinooks (19-23, 4-4) on a walk-off single by Colin Blanchard.
After a pitcher's dual in game one where K-Zoo fell on a two-run suicide squeeze in the top of the seventh, the Growlers found themselves down early in Wednesday's seven-inning series finale.
Kalamazoo's defense put on its worst display all season in the first three innings. Giving up eight runs on just four hits, the Growlers committed seven separate errors. Vidal Colon's two-out grand slam in the third blew the game open as the Chinooks led 8-1.
Kalamazoo answered in the next half-inning stringing along four straight one-out singles. Rinehart's two-run knock cut the deficit down to five. Two batters later, Savi Delgado skied a two-run triple off the left-center fence before coming home to score on a single by Travis Ilitch.
The Chinooks' offense came right back with a pair of home runs in the fourth, going back up by five.
In the fifth, Savi Delgado came through again. One for his previous 13 coming into the game, Delgado launched a two-run home run of the season over the covered awning in left field.
The Growlers brought the deficit down to just one the very next inning, with two in scoring position and nobody out an RBI ground out by Antonio Perrotta and RBI sac bunt by Colin Blanchard made it 11-10.
After three straight innings of shutout work from Brendan Burch, K-Zoo's final charge was led by Travis Ilitch. Against Lakeshore reliever Arthur Liebau, Travis Ilitch stretched what looked to be a single in right-center into a double with a head-first slide. Two batters later, Korbin Griffin skied a sac fly into right-center field to tie it up.
Heading into extras, the Growlers immediately caught Lakeshore off balanced. Griffin Cameron, the Chinook's placement runner, got caught in a pickle and was tagged out before a pitch was even thrown. Two quick outs later the Growlers kept the game tied.
In the bottom of the inning, Jaylen Merchant quickly struck out the first two batters faced. With two outs, Colin Blanchard dug in with Trey Wells still at second as the placement runner. Blanchard lined a single to left-center on a 1-0 pitch, walking it off for the Growlers.
The seven-run comeback is the largest for Kalamazoo since June 3, 2022, when K-Zoo came back down 7-0 against the Rockford Rivets. The Growlers are on the road Thursday in a doubleheader at Battle Creek. First pitch of game one is scheduled for 12:05 p.m.
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