The Kenosha Kingfish earned a four-game split with the Kalamazoo Growlers in Michigan Thursday night.
The good news is the boys of summer are still in contention in the Great Lakes East division of the Northwoods League, but the bad news is the ‘Fish finished the series with the Growlers in dismal fashion and now sit five games out of first place with 12 games before the break.
Kenosha (13-11), which is tied with the Battle Creek Battle Jacks and is five games behind first place Rockford (18-6), couldn’t get anything going offensively in a 10-0 shutout Thursday night.
Reaves
The night before, in the second game of a doubleheader against the Growlers, the Kingfish were able to earn the 7-5 victory and avoid a sweep after losing earlier in the day.
On Wednesday night, the Kingfish were down 3-1 and came back with four in the sixth and two in the eighth to take a commanding lead. The Growlers added a single tally in both the eighth and ninth innings, but they couldn’t complete the comeback.
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In the Kingfish sixth, Tanner Reaves (LSU) tied the game with a two-run single to center. After a pitching change, Will Plattner (University of Alabama) delivered with a two-run single, and suddenly Kenosha was up 5-3.
Kenosha added its insurance runs in the eighth thanks to a balk and a sacrifice fly.
Kingfish reliever Trey Baker (Charlotte) was able to shut down the Growlers in the end when he struck out the final batter to record his fourth strikeout of the game.
Plattner
Reaves, Plattner and Nate Mieszkowski (Missouri Southern State University) all had big games for the Kingfish. Plattner was 2-for-5 with three RBIs, while Reaves was 2-for-3 with two RBIs and two runs scored.
Noah Jouras (Davidson) and Justin Hausser (UWM) each added a hit for Kenosha.
Baker tossed the final three innings for the Kingfish, striking out four and allowing one earned run and three hits. Simon Linde started the game, going three innings and striking out three with one earned run and four hits.
The Kingfish are back home Friday and Saturday for a two-game set with the Kokomo Jackrabbits (3-20) for the first time this season. Both games start at 6:35 p.m.
Kalamazoo 10, Kenosha 0
On Thursday night, the Growlers bested the Kingfish and moved ahead of them by a half game in the standings.
It was the second time Kalamazoo shut out Kenosha in the series. The Growlers struck out 10 Kingfish and out-hit Kenosha, 11-4.
Eli Cartwright (Eastern Illinois) had a rough outing, giving up six earned runs in 4-1/3 innings and five in the fifth, while only recording one out.
Karter Wong (California State University-Northridge) was the only ‘Fish player to have a multi-hit game, going 2-for-3.
The third-place Kingfish must somehow make up five games on the Rockford (Ill.) Rivets with only 12 games to play in the first half of the season.
