Growlers down Loggers in all-time classic to win NWL Championship

After a near seven-hour marathon of a game delayed by rain for almost two hours, the Loggers squandered a five-run lead giving the Growlers their second Northwoods League title in three seasons by a final of 8-7.

Kalamazoo got on the board first with a sacrifice fly off the bat off Xavier Delgado in the opening inning but the Loggers answered in the second thanks to a bases loaded hit off the bat of Elijah Ickes to take the lead.

La Crosse then doubled their run total in the fourth inning thanks to sacrifice flies off the bat of Ian Collier and RJ Hamilton.

And in the fifth Ryan Kucherak lifted a double to center field to score Luke Anderson and the next batter Gable Mitchell drove in Kucherak to make it 6-1 in favor of the visitors.

The Growlers would come back strong though scoring three runs before a rain delay of one hour and 57 minutes ensued.

So the game was resumed with the bases loaded in the seventh inning and a couple walks with the bases loaded by Loggers pitching evened up the score at six.

From there zeros were put up on the scoreboard sending the game to extra innings.

The Loggers failed to plate a run in the 10th inning and Kalamazoo's Gabe Springer struck out with the bases loaded to send the game to the 11th.

Fast forward to the 12th inning and with a man on third and one out RJ Hamilton caught a fly ball then fired a strike home to double off the runner and send it to another inning.

In the 13th inning with a man 90 feet from home plate, Hamilton laid down a bunt that would score the seventh run of the game for La Crosse. In the bottom half Lawson Knight of Kalamazoo put down a bunt to even the game once again.

So to the 14th we would go and with a runner on third base Brandon Sanchez lifted a fly ball to left field that was deep enough to score Myles Beale and the Growlers are your 2024 Northwoods League champions.

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