TRAVERSE CITY — The Pit Spitters are warming up at the right time.
After running through a rough patch that saw them fall from the Great Lakes East Division lead to just one spot out of the cellar, the Traverse City Pit Spitters shift their eyes toward the second half of the Northwoods League season as they hope to make their sixth playoff appearance in six seasons.
But they still have to finish out the first half, and four wins in their last five games certainly have attitudes trending in a positive direction when the second half starts Wednesday.
The Pit Spitters are now back to .500 at 17-17 after handing Rockford (25-10) a 6-1 loss at Turtle Creek Stadium on Monday.
Recent high school graduate and state champion Grant Garman was spectacular in relief for the Pit Spitters, going five innings and picking up his first career Northwoods League victory. Garman, who won a 2024 state title with Flint Powers Catholic, set down the Rockford lineup in order over his final four innings, retiring the final 13 Rivets he saw.
Garman finished the night allowing just one hit and issuing just one walk with three strikeouts in those five innings.
Traverse City Central graduate Josh Klug finished off the game, pitching the ninth inning. After giving up a leadoff single, Klug struck out the next batter he saw and got a groundball to third for the force out at second.
Klug hit a Rivet with two outs and then worked back from a 3-0 count to get the strikeout looking and seal the victory over Great Lakes East Division-leading Rockford.
Collin Bradley got the start and the no-decision, going three innings and allowing one run on two hits with a walk and three punchouts.
The Pit Spitters got the scoring started in the first when Brett Rozman led off the inning with a single. Ethan Guerra grounded out to second, but Cole Prout singled and Daniel Jackson walked to load the bases.
After fouling off three straight pitches, Aaron Piasecki found open space in center field for a two-RBI single that scored Prout and Jackson for the 2-0 lead.
Traverse City added two more in the top of the second when Guerra singled in Alfredo Velazquez and Rozman stole home when Guerra was thrown out trying to steal second.
The Rivets got on the board in the third, but that was all the offense they could muster Monday.
Rozman gave the Pit Spitters a little more breathing room in the bottom of the seventh inning with a two-run single to right to go up 6-1.
The Pit Spitters close out their homestand against Rockford on Tuesday with a 7:05 p.m. first pitch back at the Creek. They head to Royal Oak on Wednesday to finish the final innings of a rain-postponed game.
The June 20 meeting between the two clubs was delayed during the top of the seventh inning with the bases empty, no outs and the Leprechauns leading 9-7. Wednesday’s action, beginning at 5:35 p.m. at Memorial Park, will pick up at that point.
After the conclusion of that contest, the Pit Spitters and Leprechauns will play their regularly scheduled game with a 6:35 p.m. estimated first pitch. The series concludes Thursday at Memorial Park with a 4:05 p.m. start.
After a trip to Indiana to take on the Kokomo Jackrabbits and another to Wisconsin to battle the Lakeshore Chinooks, the Pit Spitters return home July 9 for a four-game set against Royal Oak, including a scheduled day-night doubleheader July 10.