MANKATO — Right-handed pitcher Jayden Dentler was the sole representative for the Traverse City Pit Spitters in Tuesday’s Northwoods League All-Star Game at ISG Field in Mankato, Minnesota.
Dentler represented the Spitters on the Great Lakes squad after having lights-out performances on the mound. Denter pitched against the Great Plains in the bottom of the fifth inning but only threw against three batters —collecting two outs and walking one.
Great Lakes and Great Plains didn’t have much of a contest as the Great Lakes dominated the mound and plate throughout the night to secure a 9-2 victory.
Great Lakes got on the board early in the first inning on a Max Soliz Jr (Wassau Woodchucks) RBI single to center field. They added three more runs in the third to go ahead 4-0.
Jorge De Goti (Wisconsin Rapids Rafters) started things with a sacrifice ground out to bring home Parker Knoll (Fond du Lac Dock Spiders). Alex Fernandes (Battle Creek Battle Jacks) followed suit with a two-run RBI single to right field.
Great Plains added to the score in the bottom of the fifth inning on a Case Sanderson (La Crosse Loggers) RBI single to right field to cut the deficient 4-1. Great Plains had more chances to add to the score but got held to one run in the bottom of the fifth.
Great Lakes tacked on two more runs in the top of the sixth to extend the lead to 6-1, and the Great Plains tacked on a run to make it 6-2 in the bottom half despite leaving runners on base.
Great Lakes added more runs in the top of the ninth on a Michael Lareau unearned run, followed by an RBI single from Brayden Bakes (Rockford Rivets) to extend the lead 8-2. The runs continued to pour from the Great Lakes by tacking on one more to make it 9-2.
The Spitters (13-8) remain a half-a-game behind the first-half season champions, Rockford Rivets (13-7) for first in the Great Lakes East Division. The Spitters must continue to stack wins and place first by the end of the second half of the season to make the Northwoods League playoffs.
The Pit Spitters (13-8) is back at Turtle Creek Stadium with a two-game home stand on Thursday against the Kalamazoo Growlers (11-9), with Jake Brown (4-0, 3.49 ERA) expected to take the mound. First pitch is slated for 7:05 p.m.