Season-High 19 Runs Power Pit Spitters to Eighth Straight Win over Growlers
Northwoods Traverse City Pit Spitters

Season-High 19 Runs Power Pit Spitters to Eighth Straight Win over Growlers

Published on July 10, 2026 under Northwoods League (Northwoods)
Traverse City Pit Spitters News Release


Kalamazoo, MI - The Traverse City Pit Spitters erupted for season highs in runs and hits Friday night, opening their post-All-Star break schedule with a wild 19-12 victory over the Kalamazoo Growlers at Honor Credit Union Stadium.

The 31 combined runs marked the highest-scoring Pit Spitters game of the season and tied the second-highest combined total in franchise history.

Traverse City shattered its previous season high of 14 runs while collecting a season-best 21 hits and three home runs. Cade Collins became the first Pit Spitter to record a multi-homer game this summer, finishing with five RBIs, while Ethan Guerra launched his team-leading fifth home run.

Since dropping the opening game of the 131 rivalry, Traverse City has won eight consecutive meetings with Kalamazoo. The Pit Spitters improved to 5-1 in the second half and extended their first-place lead to 1.5 games.

Traverse City scored in each of the first four innings, building an 11-1 advantage before Kalamazoo began cutting into the deficit.

Callum Early opened the scoring in his first at-bat as a Pit Spitter, driving an RBI double down the line in the first inning. Collins followed with his first home run of the season, sending a three-run shot over the right-field wall to make it 4-0 before the second out was recorded.

Kalamazoo answered with a solo home run from Brock Sell in the bottom half. It was the only earned run allowed by Traverse City starter Mason Compton, who surrendered three hits and one walk across 1.2 innings in his first Northwoods League start.

The Pit Spitters added four more runs in the second when Guerra launched a grand slam, pushing the lead to 8-1. His four RBIs moved him into a tie for third on the Northwoods League leaderboard.

Jacob Kucharczyk delivered an RBI single in the third before Collins struck again in the fourth, belting a two-run homer to right for an 11-1 Traverse City lead.

The Growlers responded with the next five runs, trimming the deficit to 11-6.

Traverse City added two runs in the sixth. Early scored from third on a double steal before Sean Martinez drove in another run on a play that included a Kalamazoo error, restoring a 13-6 advantage.

The Growlers answered with two runs in the bottom half, once again cutting the lead to five. Benjamin Green and Miles Williams were charged with six earned runs out of the Traverse City bullpen, while Drew Ferguson delivered 1.2 scoreless innings.

Kucharczyk provided another major swing in the eighth, driving a two-run double as part of a 3-for-5, three-RBI performance. Two additional runs scored on Kalamazoo errors, stretching the lead to 17-8.

Kalamazoo matched Traverse City with four runs in the bottom of the eighth, including three earned against Jake Brown. Brown recovered to work a scoreless ninth and close out the victory.

The Pit Spitters completed their season-best offensive night in the ninth with an RBI single from Zach Carlson and a pinch-hit RBI double from Dalton Harper, sealing the 19-12 final.

The game lasted four hours and two minutes, Traverse City's longest nine-inning contest of the season.

The Pit Spitters and Growlers will close the series Saturday night at Honor Credit Union Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m.

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Northwoods League Stories from July 10, 2026


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