TRAVERSE CITY — Traverse City Pit Spitters player Cole Van Ameyde played against his twin brother, with each fittingly getting a victory this weekend.
Connor Kelly pitched six strong innings and Ethan Guerra drove in three runs as the Traverse City Pit Spitters defeated the Royal Oak Leprechauns 9-2 Sunday evening in Northwoods League baseball action at Turtle Creek Stadium.
The Leprechauns won 8-2 Saturday night.
Cash Van Ameyde, a freshman at Oakland University, faced off against Cole, a freshman at Michigan State.
In Sunday’s game, Cash was 0-for-1 for Royal Oak, while Cole had a 2-for-4 night with two runs scores and an RBI for Traverse City.
On Saturday, Cole was 1-for-3, while Cash was 0-for-3 but had an RBI and a run scored.
Josh Stonehouse and Jack Lafitte joined Cole Van Ameyde with two hits each in Sunday’s win by TC. Connor struck out seven over six innings, giving up only one hit and one walk. Sam Pollack tossed two innings, allowing a run, and Charlie Wolf closed it out with a scoreless ninth frame, striking out three and allowing one hit in front of 1,137 fans at Turtle Creek Stadium.
The Spitters produced only four hits in Saturday’s loss at Royal Oak, one each by Aaron Grant, JT Smith, Cole Van Ameyde and Sam Kaczmarek.
Traverse City’s first three pitchers combined to give up eight runs on six hits through eight innings before Traverse City Central grad Josh Klug came on for a scoreless ninth frame.
Spitters fans can watch the Van Ameyde sibling rivalry continue Monday at 7:05 p.m. at Turtle Creek Stadium in the final game of four consecutive between the Pit Spitters and Leprechauns.
SAINTS OPEN WITH SWEEP
The Manistee Saints swept a pair of games from the Burton Beavers in GCBL action at Reitz Park on Sunday by scores of 10-0 and 1-0.
The Saints scored six runs in the first inning and cruised to the opener win behind Dylan Bates’ two-hit shutout pitching.
Lucas Weinert and Lucas Richardson each collected 3 hits to pace the offense.
In the second game, the Saints collected just one hit, but parlayed that hit, a stolen base, and an error into the game’s only run.
Adam Pierce and Logan Lewis combined for a three-hit shutout, making the Saints’ lone run stand up in the victory.
The Saints travel June 7 to play the Sidney Knights in a doubleheader.