Northwoods Green Bay Rockers

Sizzling Bullfrogs Eye Third Straight Shutout of Woodchucks

June 16, 2015 - Northwoods League (Northwoods)
Green Bay Rockers News Release


Tyler McDowell of the Green Bay Bullfrogs
Tyler McDowell of the Green Bay Bullfrogs
(Green Bay Rockers)

Green Bay, Wis.- After sweeping a double-header on Monday night by a combined score of 8-0, the Green Bay Bullfrogs (10-8) take on the Wisconsin Woodchucks (6-13) tonight for a 7:05PM first pitch. A Miller Lite hat giveaway is featured on a beautiful night for baseball.

Luke Crabb (VCU), who brought a no-hitter into the seventh inning against Madison, starts against Wisconsin, a team who only finished with eight hits in 14 innings at Athletic Park last night.

Bullfrogs Climb South Division Standings

First place Kenosha is taking note of the Bullfrogs who enter with a four-game win streak, the longest in the Northwoods League. The Bullfrogs jumped La Crosse and Lakeshore to move over .500 for the first time this season, and third in the South Division, 4.5 games behind the Kingfish.

This winning streak is a combination of several promising developments. The first is the thorough offensive displays. Once in the bottom third of the league entering the weekend with a team batting average under .230, the Bullfrogs are now hitting .247 with 10 hits or more in their last four games.

Tyler McDowell (Washington State) is white hot at the plate. In the double-header, McDowell finished 3-for-7 with 3 RBI and has started the year 20-for-40. Despite having played over a week's worth less of games, he is tied with Ryan Donovan (Hofstra) for the team-lead in hits.

In puzzling fashion, the Woodchucks intentionally walked the bases loaded for McDowell in the sixth inning in game two yesterday. The bullfrogs left-hander responded with a hit back up the box, adding insurance to a 5-0 Bullfrogs victory.

"I've been seeing [the ball] really well," said McDowell who was one of two "Bullfrogs Coaches' Player of the Game" picks. "I've been slowing my feet down so I have as much time as possible to see the ball all the way in."

It has also been an unusual but welcomed position for McDowell now hitting second in the Bullfrogs lineup.

"I've never hit second in my life," said McDowell. "A couple games ago they put me second as well. And I looked at the lineup, I usually hit fifth, and I said I guess I'm not playing today. And I looked up and I was in the two hole and was like, wow."

His offensive performance was matched by Logan Taylor's (Louisville) prowess in the leadoff spot. After just one hit over the weekend against Madison, Taylor bashed five hits against the Woodchucks with three runs plated in the wins.

Offense aside, the pitching has been phenomenal. Green Bay now showcases a 2.25 staff ERA, first in the Northwoods by 0.44 (2nd NWL is Willmar 2.69 ERA) heading into play tonight.

Garrett Harrison (St. Cloud State) spun the first complete game shutout of the season for the Bullfrogs. He also struck out 11 batters, tied for most by a hurler in a single game this season. For his efforts, he earned his second "Northwoods League Pitcher of the Night" award.

"I feel like this was [my best start]," said Harrison after the game one 3-0 victory. "I was able to spot up and do what I wanted and I was ahead in counts. When I'm up, I feel like I can do a lot more with what I want and it leads to more strikeouts."

Harrison moved up to first in strikeouts (31) and fourth in innings pitched (27.1IP) in the Northwoods League.

He was helped by an errorless game, also repeated in the back end of the twin bill, as the Bullfrogs also look to improve upon their defensive miscues.

Woodchucks' Offensive Woes Mount

Wisconsin had no offensive retort to Harrison or the committee of Brunner (Dayton), Strunc (Creighton), Donovan (Lehigh), and Stolley (Northwestern) who went the distance in game two yesterday. And even Simon Mathews (Georgetown), the Woodchucks' ace, could not keep a handle on a surging Bullfrogs lineup.

The task was even more difficult for a Wisconsin club without Max Ponzurick (Virginia Tech), one of the Northwood League's most formidable power hitters, who did not play in Wausau because of a nagging injury. Without shortstop Ryan Howard (Missouri), who is on the protective list after joining Team USA, the power that the Woodchucks once had (15HR/1st NWL) seems distant.

In the last 32 innings, the Woodchucks have scored just one run.

Tonight, Wisconsin starts LHP Jared Skolnicki (Kent State), who like Harrison, has also downed 11 batters in a game. He has had an up-and-down season, starting the year with seven shutout innings and just one hit allowed against La Crosse (05/31-2IP/0R) and Kalamazoo (06/04-5IP/0) but was tagged for seven earned runs in 4 1/3 IP against Battle Creek in his last outing.

This is the last matchup between the Wausau-based Woodchucks and Bullfrogs until June 30th, when the two teams duel for another double-header.

Single game tickets are on sale now. Visit www.greenbaybullfrogs.com to purchase tickets. The Bullfrogs' business hours are Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.




Images from this story

Tyler McDowell of the Green Bay Bullfrogs
Tyler McDowell of the Green Bay Bullfrogs
   



Northwoods League Stories from June 16, 2015


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