Pit Spitters Blast Two Homers, Hold off Growlers in Game 1 Win
Northwoods Traverse City Pit Spitters

Pit Spitters Blast Two Homers, Hold off Growlers in Game 1 Win

Published on June 13, 2026 under Northwoods League (Northwoods)
Traverse City Pit Spitters News Release


Kalamazoo, MI - There were 24 combined hits between the Traverse City Pit Spitters and Kalamazoo Growlers in Saturday night's series opener at Honor Credit Union Stadium, but Traverse City prevailed behind home runs and three-RBI nights from both Josh Polubinski and Zach Kucharczyk, holding off a late Kalamazoo push to win 10-6.

Kucharczyk, making his 2026 debut, delivered an immediate spark for the Pit Spitters, while Polubinski helped power Traverse City back above the .500 mark at 10-9. The win also moved the Pit Spitters within one game of the first-place Growlers.

Traverse City built a six-run lead before Kalamazoo came to the plate, jumping on Growlers starter Alex Burden in the top of the first.

Burden completed just one inning before Kalamazoo was forced to turn to its bullpen early.

The Pit Spitters loaded the bases with one out in the opening frame before Polubinski worked a walk to bring in the first run of the night. Then came the damage. Zach Carlson followed with an RBI single, and Jackson Militello and Kucharczyk both ripped RBI doubles off the left-field wall. For Kucharczyk, it was his first at-bat with Traverse City this summer.

Kalamazoo scored the next four runs, putting up two-run frames in the third and fifth innings. The first came against Pit Spitters starter Kade Johnson, who allowed one earned run across three innings of work, and the second came against Gabe Helder. In between, Max Hammond delivered a scoreless fourth inning and eventually earned the win.

Traverse City scored again in the top of the sixth to stretch the lead to 7-4, when Jacob Kucharczyk singled to left field to score Carlson. That was all the Pit Spitters would manage against Kalamazoo's RJ Anglin, who worked five innings in long relief and struck out eight.

In the home half of the sixth, one swing from Growlers hitter Nate Webb cut the deficit to one. Webb launched a two-run opposite-field home run, making it 7-6. In total, four earned runs were charged to Helder across 1.2 innings on the mound.

The Pit Spitters answered right back with a two-run blast of their own. Polubinski went deep to right field for his first home run of the summer, giving Traverse City a 9-6 lead and marking his third RBI of the night.

The power kept coming in the eighth from a familiar face. Zach Kucharczyk led off the inning with a solo blast, his second extra-base hit and third RBI of the game. The swing pushed Traverse City to 10 runs, marking the third time in 19 games this season the Pit Spitters have reached double digits.

Traverse City racked up 11 hits in the win, with Aaron Grant and Carlson joining Polubinski and Kucharczyk with multi-hit nights.

Grant and Carlson both scored two runs.

Kalamazoo outhit Traverse City 13-11, but the Growlers left 15 runners on base. Eight of the nine Pit Spitters starters reached safely.

Miles Williams helped bridge the game late for Traverse City, throwing 1.1 innings and striking out the side in the seventh. Charlie Wolf then sealed the win with two scoreless innings and four strikeouts. Wolf has not allowed an earned run across five appearances in 2026.

The Pit Spitters (10-9) and Growlers (11-8) will conclude the two-game series Sunday afternoon, with first pitch set for 1:05 p.m.

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Northwoods League Stories from June 13, 2026


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