Spitters Reach Their Best Mark with Fifth Straight Win

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Northwoods Traverse City Pit Spitters

Spitters Reach Their Best Mark with Fifth Straight Win

July 18, 2025 - Northwoods League (Northwoods)
Traverse City Pit Spitters News Release


Traverse City, MI - A pair of early inning comebacks opened the door for the Traverse City Pit Spitters to take care of the Battle Creek Battle Jacks, winning their fifth in a row by a score of 9-5 in front of the second largest crowd of the season of 4,021 fans at Turtle Creek Stadium.

Fielding mistakes infested the Battle Jacks defense throughout the second and third inning allowing for the Spitters to score seven runs during that span. Mixed with a great bullpen pitching, the Spitters have reached 11 games above .500 to make it their best record of the season.

Before the errors bit the Battle Jacks, it was their patience at the plate that allowed them to take an early lead in the top of the second inning. With bases loaded, All-Star Joshua Algarin drew a walk to give Battle Creek a 1-0 lead. Following the fielding mistake by shortstop Hunter Smolinski, Brooks Sartain grounded into a fielder's choice plating a run to tie the game at 1-1. Later in the inning, Grady Mee snapped out of his three-for-16 stretch at the plate with a two-run base hit to right field to give the Spitters a 3-1 lead. Carter Hain then scored on a stolen base extending Traverse City's lead to 4-1. The Jacks didn't waste any time inserting themselves back into the conversation as a pair of walks led off the top of the third inning. Caleb Estrada ripped a double to left field that scored a run to pull the Battle Jacks within 4-2. Gianni Royer joined the hit parade with an RBI single himself to bring the game to 4-3. During the at-bat of Keaton Fisher, Pit Spitters starting pitcher Nathan Webb threw a wild pitch that allowed two runs to score giving the lead back to the Jacks at 5-4. Brandon Sanchez tied the game for the first run of the bottom of the third inning on a sacrifice flyout before Isaac Sturgess darted home on a passed ball to give the Spitters a 6-5 lead. To finish off the offensive barrage, Sartain drove in a run on a base hit to make it 7-5. In the bottom of the sixth inning, Spitters All-Star Aaron Piasecki drove in an insurance run to extend the Spitters lead to 8-5. For good measure, Alfredo Velazquez singled to right field to score Hain to push Traverse City's lead to 9-5.

Traverse City improves to their best mark of the season at 30-19 overall and 9-6 in the second half while Battle Creek falls to 25-25 overall and 5-10 in the second half. Travis Weide (1-1) dazzled in his second outing at Turtle Creek Stadium of the season as he threw four innings of scoreless ball, allowing just one hit and striking out three. Brett Seils (4-2) threw 4.2 innings, allowing seven runs with three of them earned, five hits, four walks, and struckout two.

UP NEXT

The Pit Spitters will be back in action tomorrow night as they go for the series sweep against the Battle Jacks. First pitch is tomorrow night at 7:05 p.m. Broadcast coverage with Jackson Heiden will begin on the Northwoods League Sports Network at 7:00 p.m. on the Northwoods League + App.



Northwoods League Stories from July 18, 2025


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