Article by Nevada Cullen, Photo by Melissa Vozar

KENOSHA, WI — Battle Creek Battle Jacks starting pitcher Justin Graves fired seven strong innings and punched out eight, while the offense compiled 11 hits in the Battle Jacks’ 10-4 victory over the Kenosha Kingfish on Saturday.

After back-to-back walks to start the game, Jace Matkin jacked a two-run double to right center. A throwing error brought him home, and the Battle Jacks led 3-0 early.

Dillon Kark roped the first pitch of the second inning down the left field line for a double. Following another Kenosha error, Fisher Pyatt drove Kark home with an RBI single to give the Battle Jacks a 4-0 edge.

Battle Creek struck again in the third with a Robbie Merced solo shot to left. It marked his second long ball against the Kingfish, after he blasted a three-run, walk-off home run on Sunday.

Then, the Battle Jacks scored for a fourth straight inning. Pat Mills doubled down the right field line to score Rafael Gomez Jr. on a perfectly executed hit-and-run. Mills plated Gomez again in the sixth with an RBI single to extend the lead to 7-0.

Later in the seventh, Isaiah Gibbs came through with a two-out, two-run single into center. Mills drove in his third run with a bases-loaded walk to put the Battle Jacks up by 10.

Graves finally exited in the eight, and finished with no earned runs allowed. He yielded just three hits and two walks in the longest start for a Battle Creek hurler this season.

The Kingfish got four back in the eighth with a three-run homer by Brady Counsell. But, Caleb Lanoux entered to end the side and pitched a scoreless ninth to seal the game.

With the win, the Battle Jacks (8-4) are back on top of the Great Lakes East division. They host the Kalamazoo Growlers Sunday, with first pitch at 1:35 p.m. ET.