TRAVERSE CITY — Mark Kattula had himself a Monday night for the Traverse City Pit Spitters in a must-win game at Turtle Creek Stadium.
Kattula finished the night by going 4-for-5 with three RBI in the 131 Rivalry Series to help the Pit Spitters to a 6-2 win over the Kalamazoo Growlers. Traverse City needed to snatch a win against the Growlers to maintain their chances of extending their postseason streak to six years.
With five games remaining in the second half of the Northwoods League season, the win moves the Pit Spitters back into first place in the second-half standings by a half-game over the Growlers in the Great Lakes East Division with a 20-12 record. The Growlers move to 19-12 with the loss.
Kalamazoo (37-29) remains a half-game ahead of Traverse City (37-30) in the GLE in the overall standings for second place as the Rockford Rivets (43-24) sit atop of the standings.
The Pit Spitters and Growlers close things out Tuesday at Turtle Creek Stadium as the final regular-season meeting between the two squads, and it’s the last regular-season home game for Pit Spitters’ six-year field manager Josh Rebandt, who plans to join Western Michigan as an assistant coach with their baseball program following the conclusion of the 2024 season.
The two-time Northwoods League champion field manager is the only field manager to coach the Pit Spitters in their six-year history. Rebandt has guided the organization to five consecutive Northwoods League playoff appearances before the 2024 season.
Traverse City played as if they wanted to host a playoff game by getting on the board first in the bottom of the first inning on a Camden Traficante RBI single to right field. Kattula brought in the second run on a RBI single to make it 2-0.
The Growlers responded with a run in the top of the second to make it 2-1, but Kattula came to the rescue with an RBI double to right field to bring home JT Sokolove and make it 3-1.
Collin Bradley (2-0, 3.79 ERA) started for Traverse City against his old squad, throwing 107 pitches through six innings, allowing one run on four hits while walking four and striking out three. James Geshel relieved Bradley, allowing zero runs through two innings pitched. Mason Hill wrapped up the game, allowing one run and striking out two.
With the pitchers doing their work, Kattula added a run in the bottom of the sixth with an RBI single to right field, and Carter Hain added to the score to make it 5-1.
Traverse City continued to pour runs on the Growlers by adding to the score in the bottom of the seventh to make it 6-1. The Growlers tacked on a run in the top of the ninth to make it 6-2 with two outs, but Hill swiftly ended the game by forcing Brodey Acres into a groundout.
Traverse City looks to distance themselves in the standings on Tuesday against Kalamazoo, with the first pitch set for 7:05 p.m. A win puts them a game and a half ahead of the Growlers in the second-half standings and vaults the Pit Spitters into second place overall.