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By Sebastian Alsing | June 25th, 2026
ROYAL OAK, MI — The Battle Jacks played a their second consecutive game against Royal Oak on Thursday.
A first-inning Lucas Mead home run knocked in two for the Leprechauns with Aamir Mitchell on base to take an early 2-0 lead. The Battle Jacks fired back in the second inning, when AJ Lucas launched his first home run of the summer over the wall. Royal Oak kept the home run streak alive with a Noah Brocklebank solo-shot to make it 3-1 after two.
A throw home on a fielders choice in the fifth inning didn’t save Cash Van Ameyde from scoring the fourth run of the day for the Leprechauns. With 1 out, bases got loaded for Royal Oak with Jacob Janisko on the mound, but the Battle Jacks would get out of that inning with only the one run allowed.
Some fight was shown by Battle Creek in the sixth inning, when Kyle Hartmann would drive in a run on a single to get them back in the mix.
The Battle Jacks kept on rolling with a drag bunt RBI from Thomas Cooper to score Payton Bookwalter with no outs, and Dayne Wimberly would follow it up with a game-tying RBI single that drove home Brendan Thompson in the seventh. The Leprechauns scored in the bottom of the inning and retook the lead when Aamir Mitchell slid home off a wild pitch from Jacob Janisko.
A scoreless eighth inning would see Battle Creek entering the final frame down a run. They’d get two on base in the ninth inning, and Kyle Hartmann would drive a run in off a single to tie it back up at 5-5. The bottom of the ninth saw Aamir Mitchell get on base and work his way to third, where with two outs, Jared Rodriguez saved the Jacks from surrendering a walk-off run to bring the game to extra innings.
With two baserunners in the top of the tenth, Thomas Cooper grounded a ball in play to drive in the leading run to make it a 6-5 ballgame.
Luke Kosko would keep the Leprechauns alive with a single to tie the game at 6-6 in the bottom of the tenth. A bunt from Ilitch in extras and an errant throw from Jared Rodriguez allowed Carson Raether to score and Royal Oak would walk it off in heartbreaking fashion, 7-6.
The Battle Jacks ended the game with 16 hits and 3 errors in the loss.
Battle Creek heads to Kenosha for the first time this season with a 6:35 P.M. CT first pitch against the Kingfish tomorrow.
