ROCKFORD, Illinois — One route for the Traverse City Pit Spitters to make the playoffs was just taken off the map, and the “Road Closed” signs are at the ready on the other route.
The Pit Spitters’ 15-1 blowout loss to the Rockford Rivets along with Kalamazoo’s 7-2 win over Royal Oak on Thursday locked up a playoff spot for the Growlers as they clinched second place in the overall standings while also moving 1.5 games ahead of Traverse City in the race for the second-half Great Lakes East Division title with just two games to play.
One more loss for Traverse City or another win for the Growlers (40-29; 22-12) would spell the end of the line for the Pit Spitters (38-32; 21-14), leaving them out of the playoffs for the first time in the franchise’s six-season history.
The first-half champion Rivets picked up right where they left off Wednesday night as their red-hot bats stayed smoldering.
Rockford scored six runs in the bottom of the ninth inning Wednesday as the Rivets nearly completed a furious comeback in an 18-15 loss to the Pit Spitters.
They scored another half-dozen in the bottom of the first Thursday, knocking Pit Spitters starting pitcher Jake Brown out of the game after just two-thirds of an inning in which he gave up the six earned runs on just two hits with four walks and two hit-by-pitches.
The Rivets tacked on one more in the third, two in the fourth and another in the fifth before exploding for five runs in the sixth to take an insurmountable 15-0 lead.
James Geshel went 2.1 innings in relief, allowing just one run on one hit with two walks and a strikeout. Luke Walter took one on the chin, giving up eight runs (seven earned) on four hits with five walks in 2.2 innings.
The Rivets’ bats went quiet the rest of the way, but the Pit Spitters’ bats woke up a bit in the ninth with Ethan Belk’s two-out, RBI double scored Carter Hain for their lone run. Belk finished with two of the Pit Spitters’ five hits. Trent Reed, Camden Traficante and Brynden Cleveland had the others.
The Pit Spitters’ playoff fate still hangs in the balance over their final two must-win games. They will headå to Battle Creek for a two-game set against the Battle Jacks on Friday and Saturday. Both games are slated for a 6:35 p.m. first pitch.
The Growlers take on the last-place Kokomo Jackrabbits in their final two contests.
Traverse City would have to win both against Battle Creek while Kalamazoo would have to lose both of their games for the Pit Spitters to earn a playoff spot.