Pit Spitters get out of nail-bitter ending, win 7-3
Jun. 24—KOKOMO — After a potential comeback against the Kalamazoo Growlers went for naught on Wednesday, the Traverse City Pit Spitters were on the hunt to turn things around against the Kokomo Jackrabbits.
Things went as planned in the first of a two-game set against the cellar dwellers of the Great Lakes East Division. The Pit Spitters were due for a W, and they got one, winning 7-3 on the road.
For the past 10 games, the Pit Spitters have been 3-7 and now sit at 11-14 overall. The victory is certainly something they hope to ride forward with momentum. The bats came alive again, and the pitching is what they could hope for.
Traverse City struck the first blow, going up 2-0 with a sacrifice out from Dallas Duarte in the second inning to bring in Marshall Toole. Toole stole a base to get in scoring position before coming home, making it his first swiped bag on the season.
Second baseman Alec Atkinson followed up with a shot to left field that brought in the right fielder from North Carolina State, Trey Truitt. As the game progressed, the pitching sustained the lead.
Through six innings, Petersburg native and starting pitcher Derek Clark was solid — striking out six and allowing eight hits. The offense was able to provide a little cushion by adding another run. In the top of the fourth, the Pit Spitters tacked on one run with an RBI double from Atkinson making it 3-0, but that didn't last long.
The Jackrabbits (7-17) answered back in the bottom of the third with two runs of their own. Third baseman Angel Galindez shot one to center field for a two-run RBI to bring them within one.
In the bottom of the sixth, Galindez inflicted more damage by adding on another run to make it 3-3 and end Clark's night.
The Spitters took a while to get some action after the hot start, but they found a spark in the top of the eighth. Truitt launched his first homerun of the season to bring in Toole. A couple of players later, right fielder Jakob Marsee brought home Atkinson to build the lead back to three runs at 6-3.
Traverse City tacked on the final run of the night before a potential comeback from the Jackrabbits. But California native and relief pitcher Anthony Ramirez shut down the rally, striking out two while leaving two on.
A win like this can spark something that the Pit Spitters are hoping for. The Pit Spitters are back at Kokomo Jackrabbits Stadium Friday before taking on the Rockford Rivets on Saturday.
