TRAVERSE CITY — The Traverse City Pit Spitters were staring down the barrel of a third-straight loss after falling behind 4-0 to the Kokomo Jackrabbits on Monday.
But a four-run sixth inning and an untimely Jackrabbits’ error in the eighth lifted the playoff hopefuls to a 5-4 win at Turtle Creek Stadium.
The win moves the Pit Spitters (27-23) back into first place in the Great Lakes East Division for the second half of the Northwoods League season and into second in the overall season standings. A first-place finish in the second half or a second-place finish to first-half champion Rockford would lock in a playoff berth for Traverse City.
Traverse City starter Parker Wakeman gave up single runs in the first and second innings to the Jackrabbits (15-34) and surrendered two more in the third as the Pit Spitters fell into a 4-0 hole.
But Wakeman settled down his final three innings and held Kokomo in check to give his teammates a chance to win. And they repaid him in the bottom of the sixth with four runs to let him Wakeman the hook for the loss and give him the no-decision.
Ethan Guerra led off the sixth with a double to left and then advanced to third on a wild pitch to Aaron Piasecki, who walked to put runners at the corners with no outs.
Daniel Jackson got Traverse City on the board with a single after getting behind 1-2 and fouling off three straight pitches.
Another wild pitch brought in Piasecki with the bases loaded, and Vahn Lackey walked to pack the bags for Brett Denby.
Denby tied the ballgame at 4-4, taking an 0-2 pitch to left and plating Jackson and Lackey.
The score remained 4-4 heading into the bottom of the eighth, and it would be Carter Hain — who came up clutch with a game-winning two-run home run at Kokomo on Friday — that benefited from the Kokomo miscue.
Lackey singled with one out and stole second to put himself in scoring position before Denby went down swinging.
Hain got ahead 3-0 before Kokomo reliever Aidan Hatcher worked it back to a full count. Hain hit a grounder to first base that went for an error and allowed Lackey to score all the way from second and give the Pit Spitters a 5-4 lead.
Charlie Wolf came on for the ninth and locked things down for the save after issuing a leadoff walk. Wolf struck out Michael Flaherty, took the second out on a sacrifice bunt from Jack Anderson and then fielded a groundball back to the mound for the final out of the evening.
Seth Gurr got the win in relief, going two innings and allowing just one hit and striking out one. Wakeman went six innings, allowing three earned runs on eight hits and four walks with four strikeouts.
The Pit Spitters begin the second half of their four-game homestand Tuesday as the Kenosha Kingfish visit the Creek for two games.
Reilly Shafer (0-1, 6.75 ERA) gets the start Tuesday, and Jayden Dentler (4-1, 1.07 ERA) takes the mound in Wednesday’s finale.
Both games begin at 7:05 p.m.
Traverse City then takes to the road for four games — two in Madison, Wisconsin, against the Mallards on Thursday and Friday and two in Rockford, Illinois, against the Great Lakes East Division-leading Rivets on Saturday and Sunday.
The Northwoods League All-Star festivities kick off next Monday in Mankato, Minnesota, with the Home Run Challenge followed by the All-Star game July 23.
After a day off on July 24, the Pit Spitters enter the home stretch of the Northwoods League season with four home games — two with the Kalamazoo Growlers on July 25-26 and two with Battle Creek Battle Jacks on July 27-28.
The Pit Spitters’ final home game of the regular season is set for Tuesday, Aug. 6.