MADISON, Wisconsin — The Traverse City Pit Spitters took a step back in the second-half race for the Great Lakes East Division with a loss Friday.
Traverse City’s 7-4 defeat to the Madison Mallards at Warner Park dropped the Pit Spitters back behind the Rockford Rivets, who were winners over Kalamazoo, for first place in the GLE’s second-half standings.
Despite the loss, Traverse City is still in line for a playoff spot, which the Pit Spitters can earn with either a second-half division win or a second-place finish in the overall standings to the first-half champion Rivets. Right now, both option A and option B are in play for the Pit Spitters.
Traverse City (29-25) had a 4-2 lead going into the bottom of the eighth inning, but the Mallards (36-16) plated five runs to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.
After Shai Robinson flied out to center to lead off the inning for the Mallards, Jake Schaffner singled and then Davis Hamilton was hit by a pitch and Justin Best walked on four pitches from Collin Bradley to load the bases.
Seth Gurr came on in relief for Bradley, who was having a stellar start before things unraveled in the eighth. Bradley finished with the no-decision after going 7.1 innings and allowing five runs on three hits and four walks with four strikeouts.
The loss went to Gurr, who got an RBI groundout from Korbyn Dickerson to keep the Pit Spitters in the lead at 4-3.
Frankie Carney singled to left, and an error on Brett Rozman allowed Hamilton and Best to score for a 5-4 lead. Liam Moreno launched a two-run home run to give the Mallards a three-run cushion heading to the ninth.
The Pit Spitters managed to get the tying run to the plate after JT Sokolove and Ethan Guerra walked with two outs, but Aaron Piasecki grounded out to second to end the game.
Traverse City’s runs came in the second and sixth innings.
Ethan Belk and Denby each scored on RBI groundouts in the second and then both scored again in the sixth on an error.
The Pit Spitters now trail the Rivets by a half-game in the second-half GLE standings, but they hold a 1.5-game lead over the Growlers for second place overall.
Before the All-Star break, Traverse City has two crucial games at Rockford on Saturday and Sunday. Both games take place at Rockford Stadium in Illinois with 6:35 p.m. start times.
The Northwoods League All-Star festivities kick off with the Home Run Challenge on Monday in Mankato, Minnesota, followed by the All-Star game Tuesday.
After a day off Wednesday, the Pit Spitters enter the home stretch of the Northwoods League season with four home games — two with the Growlers on July 25-26 and two with Battle Creek Battle Jacks on July 27-28.