BATTLE CREEK — The Traverse City Pit Spitters fought off a comeback with a comeback of their own, but they couldn’t overcome a dozen walks in a 9-7 loss to Battle Creek on Monday.
The Pit Spitters (8-6) have now dropped four of their last five games after getting out to a 7-2 start and leading the Great Lakes East Division. Despite the rough stretch, Traverse City is just a game out of first as Rockford and Battle Creek are tied at 9-5.
A two-run first inning to put the Pit Spitters up early started with back-to-back singles by Corey Berry and Bretty Denby and a sacrifice bunt by Brandon Chang, moving them into scoring position.
The Battle Jacks (9-5) looked as if they might escape the early jam unscathed after Brody Capps struck out, but Carter Hain’s hot bat stayed warm with a two-out, two-RBI single to center field.
The Pit Spitters had a chance to jump out to a massive lead in the third inning when Berry singled and then Denby and Chang walked to load the bases with nobody out. But they were only able to push across one run when Capps was hit by a pitch on a 2-2 count.
Hain struck out on four pitches, and then Vahn Lackey grounded into a 5-2-3 double play that snuffed out the Spitters’ offensive fire.
The Battle Jacks took advantage of the momentum swing and scored four times in the bottom of the third.
Jaxon Huffman walked three of the first four batters he faced to load the bases and end his evening after two and a third innings. Traverse City Central product and Louisville Cardinal Josh Klug came on in relief for his second appearance this season, hitting two Battle Jacks with a pitch, walking another with the bases loaded and surrendering a sac fly that pushed Battle Creek ahead 4-3.
Battle Creek added one in the fifth and another in the seventh to extend the lead to 6-3, but the Pit Spitters would not go quietly.
Capps and Hain led off the top of the eighth inning with walks. Hain, however, was wiped off the bases when he was caught trying to steal second. Lackey was hit by a pitch and Alfredo Velazquez walked to load the bases, and Ethan Guerra singled to right to score two and make it a 6-5.
But that’s all the Pit Spitters would get in the inning.
The bottom of the eighth didn’t go well for the Spitters as the Battle Jacks padded their lead and scored three runs. But Traverse City still had a little fight left.
Denby led off the top of the ninth with a double to right, and Capps followed with an RBI double after Chang struck out. Capps later scored on an error, but that would be the extent of the damage caused in the ninth inning of the 9-7 final.
Klug took the loss, going just a third of an inning, as Huffman got the no-decision while giving up three runs with six walks. Klug walked a pair, reliever Mason Hill issued three free passes, and Dominic Mauro walked one to make it an even dozen on the night for the Spitters’ pitching staff.
The Pit Spitters return home to Turtle Creek Stadium on Tuesday when they welcome in the Kokomo Jackrabbits for a two-game set. Dylan Krause gets the start, hoping to build on his 2-0 record with a minuscule 0.75 ERA.
First pitch is at 7:05 p.m.