Northwoods Kalamazoo Growlers

Ralston Outduels Byrd, La Crosse Tops Kalamazoo Growlers 2-1

July 8, 2015 - Northwoods League (Northwoods)
Kalamazoo Growlers News Release


Jordan Stading of the Kalamazoo Growlers Prepares to Catch a Throw
Jordan Stading of the Kalamazoo Growlers Prepares to Catch a Throw
(Kalamazoo Growlers)

LA CROSSE, WI - In one of the top pitchers' duels of the season, 17-year-old Jack Ralston outclassed Alec Byrd as the La Crosse Loggers snuck by the Kalamazoo Growlers 2-1 on Tuesday night at Copeland Park.

Ralston (1-0), an incoming freshman at UCLA, kept the Growlers (3-6, 11-31) at bay for 6.1 innings, allowing one run on four hits. He walked one and struck out six in his first start of the year. Byrd (Florida State, 0-2) took a hard-luck loss for Kalamazoo, allowing two runs on five hits in seven innings. He hit one batter and struck out eight on 99 pitches. Ty Provencher (Long Beach State) earned his 10th save of the season, pushing the Loggers (3-4, 22-19) across the finish line with a scoreless inning and a third.

The home side broke the deadlock in the bottom of the third as Ronnie Gideon (Texas A&M) socked Byrd's first pitch off and over the top of the left field wall for a solo home run. La Crosse got one more across in the inning as Mason McCoy (Illinois Central College/Iowa) singled with two outs, stole second, and came home on a Jordan Zimmerman (Mesa CC/Michigan State) base hit.

Kalamazoo cut the lead in half in the sixth. Bryce Adams (Delgado College/LSU) led off with a single, and Johnny Ruiz (Miami, FL) drag bunted for a hit of his own. With two outs, Jordan Stading (Houston) looped a base hit into left center to plate Adams and make it 2-1. The Growlers could not tie it though as Dylan Busby (Florida State) struck out to end the threat.

Byrd got into some trouble in the seventh, hitting a man with one out. He settled down to strike out Keith Skinner (North Florida), and then talked his way to one more showdown with Gideon, who he struck out in the fifth. The Seminole southpaw came out on top in the rubber match, forcing Gideon to fly out to right field to complete his final inning.

The Growlers got another chance in the eighth as Ruiz singled and went to third on a sac bunt and a groundout, but Busby again came up short, bouncing out to Chris Baker (Washington) at third base. It was Baker who would shine in the ninth inning as Kalamazoo put together one last rally. With one out and a man on first, Baker dove on a scorching grounder from John Soteropulos (California), saving extra bases to convert a stunning fielder's choice. Adams then bounced out to Baker to end the game in a tight 2:16.

Ruiz led the way for Kalamazoo with two hits, while Adams has recorded a hit in two consecutive games.

Nathan Coakley (St. Francis, IN) tossed a scoreless eighth inning to keep the visitors in it. Jordan Jess (Minnesota) provided the bridge from Ralston to Provencher with 1.1 scoreless frames.

The Growlers wrap up their series with the Loggers on Wednesday night. First pitch from Copeland Park is set for 8:05 p.m. EDT.




Images from this story

Jordan Stading of the Kalamazoo Growlers Prepares to Catch a Throw
Jordan Stading of the Kalamazoo Growlers Prepares to Catch a Throw
   



Northwoods League Stories from July 8, 2015


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