TRAVERSE CITY — The Traverse City Pit Spitters returned from America’s Dairyland feeling like butter because they were on a roll to start the second half of the Northwoods League season.
That feeling continued Tuesday.
The Pit Spitters opened a four-game home series against Royal Oak on Tuesday, coming in as winners of four straight after taking two from the Kokomo Jackrabbits and two more from Wisconsin’s Lakeshore Chinooks on Sunday and Monday. They pushed their winning streak to five after an 8-3 victory over the Leprechauns at Turtle Creek Stadium.
There was plenty of action off the field as well.
On top of the regularly scheduled Barks & Brews Night that allows attendees to bring their canine companions to the Creek for every Tuesday home game, it was also Dinos in the Dugout Night at Turtle Creek Stadium that featured Ed’s Dinosaurs Live.
The Pit Spitters found themselves not only staring up at the large and life-like dinosaurs down the rightfield line but also at the Leprechauns on the scoreboard after Royal Oak (23-20) plated two in the top of the first inning.
Parker Wakeman got the start in his season debut for the Pit Spitters. The 6-foot-3 righty from the University of West Florida needed to calm his nerves after giving up three straight singles and a walk to the first four Royal Oak batters.
An RBI fielder’s choice to third got the first out of the inning, and Wakeman got a flyout and a strikeout to limit the damage.
The Pit Spitters, who are now 6-1 in the second half of the season and 23-20 overall, knotted things up at 2-2 in the bottom of the second.
JT Sokolove looked a bit overmatched after swinging late on two high fastballs from Royal Oak starter Aidan Cremarosa, but he laid off the third high heater and then roped a single into left.
With Sokolove running, Brett Denby put one into the rightfield gap for an RBI double. Ethan Belk laid down a sacrifice bunt to move Denby to third, and then Carter Hain tied the game with a sac fly.
Aggressive baserunning gave the Pit Spitters the lead in the fourth. Belk walked with one out and then stole second and third before another sac fly by Hain for the 3-2 advantage.
The Leprechauns made it 3-3 in the top of the fifth on an RBI groundout from Alex Cheeseman, but a five-run sixth from the Pit Spitters put the game out of reach.
Traverse City loaded the bases after Sokolove was hit by a pitch, Denby walked, and Belk singled. Hain picked up his third and fourth RBI of the evening with a single to center, and Gavin Ballus loaded the bases again with an infield hit.
Brett Rozman grounded into a forceout to score Belk, and Aaron Piasecki followed with a two-out, two-run single on an 0-2 pitch to make it 8-3.
The Pit Spitters’ relief department allowed just one baserunner in the final three innings as Trent Reed picked up the win, going four innings and allowing one run on four hits and a walk. Denby pitched a 1-2-3 ninth, striking out two.
Wakeman took the no-decision. He pitched four innings and gave up two runs on three hits and two walks with six punchouts.
The Pit Spitters and Leprechauns get back at it for a morning-night doubleheader Wednesday. The first game is slated for 11:05 a.m. at the Creek followed by a 7:05 p.m. first pitch for the nightcap of the twinbill.
The series finale is set for 7:05 p.m. Thursday before the Pit Spitters head to Kokomo, Indiana, for a brief two-game road trip against the Jackrabbits on Friday and Saturday.