Spitters Fall Flat in Game One of Second Half
July 4, 2023 - Northwoods League (Northwoods)
Traverse City Pit Spitters News Release
Battle Creek, MI - The Traverse City Pit Spitters lose game one of the series to the Battle Creek Battle Jacks 18-3. The Pit Spitters drop the first game of the second half bringing their overall record to 22-14, and their second half record to 0-1. The Battle Jacks improve to 11-24 overall and 1-0 in the second half.
Pit Spitters picked right back up where they left last night in the top of the first as Evan Orzech hit a double off the right field fence with two outs. Dylan Carey followed that up with a double of his own bringing around Orzech to make it 1-0. The Battle Jacks offense came back big in the bottom of the third, as Kyle Ratliff led off the inning with a walk. Luke Cheng singled, then Sebastian Kuhns walked, to load the bases. Ratliff scored on a wild pitch thrown by Nico Saldias to tie it up at 1-1. Jt Sokolove capped off the inning with a single, scoring Ratliff and Kuhns to make it 3-1. Blake Mcrae added one more in the bottom of the third with a solo home run to left field extending their lead to 4-1. Nikolas Clark got the offense going in the bottom of the fourth inning for the Battle Jacks with a single. Sokolove came through again with a single, scoring Clark to make it 5-1. Andrew Mannelly started up the offense for the Pit Spitters in the top of the fifth with a walk. Dylan Carey came through with a single of his own, putting runners on first and third with two outs. Carey swiped second during Tyler Minnick's at-bat setting up runners on second and third. Minnick doubled to left field bringing around Mannelly and Carey to make it a 5-3 game. The pitching for the Pit Spitters fell flat in the bottom of the fifth inning as Holden Wilder walked the first two batters of the inning. RHP Hayden Brown made his Pit Spitters debut and things didn't go the way he had anticipated, as he gave up a double to left field scoring two runs to make it 7-3. Kuhns singled, and Clark walked, setting up an RBI opportunity for Riley Silva, who hit a single to right field scoring two runs extending the Battle Jacks lead to 9-3. Sokolove grounded out to shortstop bringing across Silva to make it 10-3. Blake Salamon and Jake Allgeyer joined the hit parade as they hit back-to-back singles bringing in a run to extend the Battle Jacks lead to 12-3. The Battle Jacks offense didn't slow down there, scoring three more runs in the bottom of the sixth to extend their lead to 15-3. In the bottom of the seventh they put up two more runs to make it 17-3. In the bottom of the eighth to save bullpen arms, third baseman Glenn Miller came in and only gave up one run on a towering home run to Ratliff.
The Pit Spitters improve to 22-14 on the season and 0-1 in the second half, while the Battle Jacks improve to 11-24 overall record and 1-0 in the second half. Pit Spitters starting pitcher, Nico Saldias threw two innings, giving up three runs on three hits, walking three. Holden Wilder threw two innings of relief giving up four runs on three hits, walking a pair. Hayden Brown made his Pit Spitters debut, throwing a third of an inning giving up four runs on three hits. Jared Ure threw two thirds of an inning giving up one run on two hits. Easton Johnson looked to provide some length out of the bullpen but threw an inning, giving up three runs on two hits. Jake Michel threw an inning of relief giving up two runs on two hits. Third baseman Glenn Miller threw an inning of relief and gave up a run on three hits.
Up next
The Pit Spitters stay in Battle Creek for game two of the series against the Battle Jacks, tomorrow, with first pitch at 6:35 PM. All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League Website. League games are viewable live at watchnwl.com and on ESPN+. For more information, visit www.pitspitters.com or download the new Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play and set the Pit Spitters as your favorite team.
Northwoods League Stories from July 4, 2023
- Larks Go 5-3 on Long Road Trip - Bismarck Larks
- Tsengeg's Tremendous Day Gives Dock Spiders First Win of the Second Half - Fond du Lac Dock Spiders
- Eau Claire Starts Second Half with a Win - Eau Claire Express
- Spitters Fall Flat in Game One of Second Half - Traverse City Pit Spitters
- Rox Complete High-Scoring Comeback to Top Duluth 23-18 - Return Home for Game Two Against Huskies Tomorrow - St. Cloud Rox
- Fond du Lac Holds Wausau to Four Hits, Wins 4-1 - Wausau Woodchucks
- Rafters Late Surge Ends in a Defeat to Madison - Wisconsin Rapids Rafters
- Mallards Open Second Half in the Win Column - Madison Mallards
- Lakeshore Drops Game One of the Second Half to Green Bay - Lakeshore Chinooks
- Rockford Rivets Come Back and Dominate Battle Creek in Second Game - Rockford Rivets
- Rafters Fall in First Half Finale to Dock Spiders, Finish in Second Place - Wisconsin Rapids Rafters
- Rockers Begin Second Half Play Tuesday Afternoon against Chinooks - Green Bay Rockers
- Mac Daddies Take Food Fight Series Behind Six-Run Eighth Inning - Kalamazoo Growlers
- Growlers Win Sixth Straight Taking Down Kingfish - Kalamazoo Growlers
- Dock Spiders End First Half on High Note, Down Rafters 6-2 - Fond du Lac Dock Spiders
- Rochester Finishes First Half with Blowout Loss - Rochester Honkers
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
