TRAVERSE CITY — The Traverse City Pit Spitters trailed 7-1 entering the eighth inning Sunday before scoring seven unanswered runs, including five in the ninth, to complete a thrilling 8-7 walk-off victory over the Richmond Flying Mummies at Turtle Creek Stadium in an instant classic.
The win earned Traverse City a split of the two-game series and kept playoff hopes alive.
Zach Carlson capped the comeback with a bases-loaded, opposite-field single in the bottom of the ninth. The outfielder finished 2-for-4 with three RBI to lead the Pit Spitters.
Traverse City improved to 19-11 and moved into a tie for first place in the Northwoods League Great Lakes East second-half standings.
Six games remain to determine which team will face first-half champion Kenosha in the divisional playoff round.
Richmond responded in the top of the third and seemed to run away with the ball game. The Flying Mummies scored three times in both the third and fifth innings against Traverse City starter Caleb Kidd. Kidd completed five innings, allowing six earned runs while striking out seven.
Richmond added another run against Ty Jenkins in the sixth. It was the first earned run surrendered by Jenkins in more than 13 innings this summer.
David Heefner and Jake Brown kept Richmond scoreless over the closing innings, giving the Traverse City offense an opportunity to rally.
The comeback began with two runs on three hits in the eighth as Cade Collins and Carlson delivered RBI singles, cutting the deficit to 7-3.
Traverse City then sent eight hitters to the plate during a five-run ninth inning with the rally caps on. Wyatt Epple scored on a throwing error before Collins and Zach Kucharczyk delivered consecutive RBI singles, pulling the Pit Spitters within one.
Carlson stepped to the plate with one out and the bases loaded. He lined a single into left field, bringing Collins home with the tying run before Kucharczyk crossed the plate with the winner.
The hit completed Traverse City’s largest late-inning comeback of the season and sealed its third walk-off victory of the summer.
Collins led the offense with three hits, two RBIs and three runs scored. Traverse City finished with 11 hits.
The Pit Spitters will continue their home stand Monday night, welcoming the Lakeshore Chinooks for a two-game series. Lakeshore leads the Great Lakes West.
First pitch at Turtle Creek Stadium is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.
Saints win, keep
title hopes alive
Title hopes are still alive in the Gratiot County Baseball League as the Manistee Saints grinded out a pair of league wins against the Burton Beavers Sunday 13-4, 7-4.
With the wins, Manistee (12-4) sets up a showdown with league-leading St. Louis at Reitz Park next Sunday at 1 p.m.
In game one, the Saints scored eight runs over the last two innings to break away with a 13-4 win. Xavier Allen and Landyn Kequom each collected two hits and drove in two runs to pace the offense.
Dylan Bates grinded through five innings on the mound to pick up the win, and Matt Bigley pitched two innings of scoreless relief.
In the nightcap, the Saints overcame a 3-0 deficit, scoring seven runs over the middle three innings to hold on for the 7-4 win.
In a brilliant pitching appearance, Lucas Johnson threw three innings in relief of Landyn Kequom, striking out eight of the nine batters to earn the win.
Bigley pitched a scoreless seventh inning to pick up the save.
Bates had a pair of hits to lead the Saints, and Pierce Johnson drove in a pair of runs.