KALAMAZOO — The Traverse City Pit Spitters and Kalamazoo Growlers came into Thursday’s Northwoods League matchup at Homer Stryker Field with palindromic records. And that’s how they left.
The Pit Spitters held off the Growlers’ comeback attempt in an 8-7 win, improving to 14-16 as Kalamazoo fell to 16-14.
Traverse City built an 8-3 lead in the Great Lakes East Division game, but the Growlers chipped away and had a chance to tie or even win it in the bottom of the ninth before a heads-up play from Pit Spitters first baseman Carter Hain — who came in as a defensive replacement for Daniel Jackson — thwarted that effort.
Up 8-7 going into the bottom of the ninth, Pit Spitters field manager made three defensive moves as Hain went to first, Aaron Piasecki moved to second and Brett Denby went to short.
Mitchell Grannan walked the leadoff hitter, Collin Blanchard, to put the tying run on base, and Myles Beale came on as a pinch runner for Blanchard.
Grannan struck out Brandon Larson for the first out and then had Gabe Springer down 1-2 before Springer doubled to left to put the tying and winning runs in scoring position.
Travis Ilitch swung at the first pitch he saw and grounded to Hain, who then fired home to cut down Beale as he tried to score. Grannan nailed down the win by striking out Sam Harris for the final out.
The Growlers took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first, but Ethan Guerra knotted things at 1-1 with a one-out solo home run in the top of the third inning.
Jackson led off the fourth with a double to left and then scored after back-to-back singles from Piasecki and Vahn Lackey.
Brett Rozman was hit by a pitch to load the bases, and Hain singled to right after fouling off the first three pitches he saw to plate Piasecki and Lackey.
Rozman later scored on a wild pitch to make it 5-1 in favor of the Pit Spitters.
Kalamazoo scored one in the bottom half of the fourth, but the Pit Spitters put two more on the board in the fifth to go up 7-2.
Cole Prout singled on the first pitch, and Jackson walked to put the first two aboard. Piasecki doubled to right, driving in Prout, and Jackson later came home on an error by the pitcher.
The Pit Spitters and Growlers traded runs in the seventh to make it 8-3. Rozman hit a two-out triple to score Jackson in the top of the inning, and Korbin Griffin singled with two outs to drive in Brodey Acres in the bottom of the frame.
The Kalamazoo comeback was in full force in the bottom of the eighth as Springer homered to right to make it 8-4, followed by consecutive RBI hits from Acres and Brock Leitgeb to pull the Growlers to within a run at 8-7.
Kalamazoo would get as close as 90 feet to tying the game — and possibly even closer on the play at the plate for the second out in the ninth. But they would not get the tie or the win Thursday night.
Logan Pikur picked up the win in relief, going 3.1 innings and allowing one earned run on three hits and two walks with three strikeouts. Andrew Herbert got the start and took the no-decision, pitching 3.2 innings and giving up three runs (two earned) on four hits and two walks with three punchouts.
Grannan locked down the save, getting the final four outs and allowing one hit with two walks and two strikeouts.
The Pit Spitters conclude their brief two-game road trip to Kalamazoo when they take on the Growers back at Homer Stryker Field on Friday.
Jayden Dentler (1-1, 1.23 ERA) gets the start for Traverse City against Kalamazoo’s Liam O’Brien (3-0, 2.53 ERA). First pitch is slated for 6:35 p.m.
The Battle Creek Battle Jacks then come to town for a weekend set at Turtle Creek Stadium. Jake Brown (2-0, 3.68 ERA) gets the nod Saturday, and Carson Fischer (2-1, 2.17 ERA) makes his final start of the season for the Pit Spitters Sunday.