TRAVERSE CITY — The games might have been played in two different states, but the results were the same — and unexpected.
The Traverse City Pit Spitters went into the weekend as winners of three straight and in first place in the Great Lakes East Division for the second half of the Northwoods League season. With last-place Kokomo on the other side of the diamond, a pair of wins Saturday and Sunday seemed like a relatively safe bet.
But that is why they play the games.
The Jackrabbits (15-33) knocked off the Pit Spitters (26-23) in a 17-16 slugfest Saturday at Kokomo Municipal Stadium and then completed the weekend sweep with an 8-4 victory at Turtle Creek Stadium on Sunday.
The two losses drop the Pit Spitters out of first place for the second half and back to third in the overall season standings. If they cannot win the second-half race or finish second in the overall standings to first-half champion Rockford, the Pit Spitters will miss the playoffs for the first time in franchise history.
The Pit Spitters and Jackrabbits put up a football score in Saturday night’s contest at Kokomo, combining for 33 runs in the 17-16 final.
The Pit Spitters jumped out to a 2-0 lead after the top of the first inning, but Kokomo tallied three in the bottom of the frame and then put up four runs in the second and six in the third to score a baker’s dozen runs in the first three innings.
The Pit Spitters did score three in the top of the third and one more in the fourth as they tried to claw back into the game at 13-6.
As Traverse City continued to fight back, the bats continued to stay hot.
The Pit Spitters plated four in the sixth, three in the seventh, two in the eighth and came up just short with one in the ninth after the Jackrabbits scored one in the sixth and three in the seventh.
Grant Garman got the start for the Pit Spitters and was roughed up in the loss, allowing 12 earned runs on 12 hits and three walks with a strikeout.
Every Pit Spitter drove in at least one run Saturday.
JT Sokolove did not record a hit, but the leadoff hitter drew three walks and was hit by a pitch with an RBI. Brett Denby also did not have a hit, but he drove in two and had a walk.
Ethan Guerra had three hits, scored three times, drove in two and took a walk. Aaron Piasecki reached base six times, picking up three hits with three walks and scoring four runs.
Daniel Jackson went 2 for 4 with a walk, two RBI and two runs. Vahn Lackey was 1 for 3 with two walks, three RBI and a run scored.
Ethan Belk collected a hit with a run scored, two walks and two runs driven in. Carter Hain was 2 for 5 with a triple and an RBI. Gavin Balius finished 1 for 5 with an RBI, a walk and two runs scored.
The Jackrabbits’ hot bats stayed toasty Sunday — just like the temperatures in northern Michigan — as Kokomo scored three in the top of the first and two more in the second off Pit Spitters’ starting pitcher Logan Pikur to jump out to a quick 5-2 lead.
Traverse City picked up one run each in the bottoms of the first and second. A Lackey RBI groundout plated Guerra in the first, and Belk scored on a double steal that was half-successful in the second.
Both teams scored two runs in the fourth as Pikur’s day came to an end after a bases-loaded walk forced in a run for Kokomo. Trent Reed came on in relief to get a flyout to right and end the Jackrabbits’ threat.
An error allowed Belk to reach first to lead off the bottom of the frame, and he eventually scored after a Michael Tchavdarov single and when Kokomo pitcher Paul Farley hit JT Sokolove and Ethan Guerra to bring in a run.
Aaron Piasecki made it 7-4 with a sacrifice fly, but that was as close as the Pit Spitters would get. Kokomo added an insurance run in the sixth, and both sides went scoreless the rest of the way in the 8-4 final.
Pikur took the loss and fell to 1-2 in nine games this season. Traverse City Central alum Josh Klug pitched the final three innings, allowing just two hits with two walks and a strikeout.
The Pit Spitters continue their four-game homestand Monday, taking on the Jackrabbits at 7:05 p.m. at the Creek.
Parker Wakeman (0-0, 4.50 ERA) gets the start for Traverse City.
The Kenosha Kingfish visit the Pit Spitters on Tuesday and Wednesday. Reilly Shafer (0-1, 6.75 ERA) takes the bump Tuesday, and Jayden Dentler (4-1, 1.07 ERA) gets the nod Wednesday.
Both games start at 7:05 p.m.