By Sebastian Alsing | June 18th, 2026
TRAVERSE CITY, MI — The Battle Jacks played a second consecutive doubleheader against the Pit Spitters Friday.
Game 1 of the doubleheader started hot for Battle Creek, with a bases-loaded single from Dayne Wimberly knocking in 2 runs early. A Thomas Cooper score and a stolen-home from Wimberly would add on 2 more for a 4-0 Battle Jacks lead.
A solo homer from Colin Sander in the 3rd put the Pit Spitters on the board. A Sam Kaczmarek single in the 4th would rally up two more runs, and then a walk-in Aaron Grant run tied it up at 4 a piece after 5 innings were said and done.
The 6th inning started with a double from first-baseman Owen Larrigan, who would be driven home on a single from Payton Bookwalter for the Battle Jacks lead. The Pit Spitters would quickly fire back, with Noah Gerrick scoring on an errant throw home on a double-steal. It was tied at 5 entering the 7th inning.
In the bottom of the 8th, a pivotal balk from Jacks’ pitcher Payton Pudenz would allow Zach Carlson to score, and the Pit Spitters had the 6-5 lead going into the 9th. With no more runs score for the Jacks, they’d fall in heartbreaking fashion, 6-5
The 7-inning game 2 would star t slower until the 3rd inning, when Traverse City struck first. A Jacob Kucharczyk single would drive in a run and another would follow on an error. An RBI ground out from his brother Zach would drive in a third run.
The Battle Jacks showed fight in the 4th inning when Dayne Wimberly’s double set up the RBI groundout from Kyle Hartmann, and then a single from Christian Lopez to drive in another. A balk would push Owen Larrigan in for the score to tie things up at 3.
The Pit Spitters scored in the 5th inning on a throw that got past Owen Larrigan at first, allowing Colin Sander to waltz home to take the lead. It would be followed up with an Ethan Guerra RBI single to extend the lead. TVC lead 5-3 entering the last two innings.
Pitching troubles for the Battle Jacks would push a run in for Traverse City on a base-on-balls when bases got loaded. A 7th run got driven in on a ground out, and then a 2-run single from Zach Kucharczyk extended the lead once more. The Battle Jacks would score again in the 7th inning, but it wouldn’t be enough to come back. The Pit Spitters took the game, 9-4.
The Battle Jacks return home Saturday with a 7:05 P.M. ET first pitch against the Kenosha Kingfish.
