Sander Goes 5-For-5, Pit Spitters Split Series in Royal Oak
Northwoods Traverse City Pit Spitters

Sander Goes 5-For-5, Pit Spitters Split Series in Royal Oak

Published on June 23, 2026 under Northwoods League (Northwoods)
Traverse City Pit Spitters News Release


Royal Oak, MI - Behind a 5-for-5, four-RBI performance from Colin Sander and a 17-hit night from the offense, the Traverse City Pit Spitters left no doubt in Tuesday night's series finale against the Royal Oak Leprechauns, taking a 13-5 win at Memorial Park.

The victory earned Traverse City a split of the two-game series and moved the Pit Spitters to 18-12 on the season.

Five Pit Spitters drove in multiple runs, while Sander finished a triple shy of the cycle, including a two-run blast. Jacob Kucharczyk launched a three-run homer, Josh Polubinski drove in a pair, and starting pitcher Miles Morris delivered his longest outing of 2026.

With the Kalamazoo and Kenosha contest still in progress, the Pit Spitters currently sit a half-game back of the Growlers, with a chance to be tied for first by the end of the night or remain one game behind in the standings with six games left to play in the first half.

Traverse City ambushed Royal Oak early, scoring all 13 of its runs across the first four innings. The Pit Spitters plated two in the first, three in the second, four in the third, and four more in the fourth.

In the first, Aaron Grant stroked an RBI single to center field, and Jackson Militello followed with one of his own to give Traverse City an early 2-0 lead.

Sander opened the second with a two-run shot, and Ethan Guerra later grounded out to score Jacob Kucharczyk, stretching the lead to 5-0.

Sander once again plated the first run of the next inning, ripping an RBI single to right field. Then came the big blow, as Jacob Kucharczyk launched a no-doubt three-run homer to straightaway left field, giving him 14 RBI in just his 10th game of the 2026 season.

Traverse City capped its early eruption in the fourth. Josh Polubinski reached on an error that scored three runs, and Sander followed with another RBI single to push the lead to 13-2.

That was more than enough for Morris, who earned his first win of the summer. The right-hander threw five innings, allowing two earned runs while striking out five, with Royal Oak scoring single runs in the second and third.

Out of the bullpen, Jack Grunkemeyer threw two innings and surrendered two runs. Charlie Wolf followed with a scoreless eighth, continuing his dominant start to the summer. Wolf has not allowed an earned run through seven appearances and 11.2 innings in 2026.

David Heefner allowed a run to score in the ninth, but finished the job to seal the series split.

The Pit Spitters (18-12) return to Turtle Creek Stadium to open a four-game home-and-road series against the Richmond Flying Mummies. The first two games will be played in Traverse City, with the Friday and Saturday matchups shifting to Richmond.

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Northwoods League Stories from June 23, 2026


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